


Forever and Always

by lulupickles



Category: Stephanie Plum - Janet Evanovich
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:41:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 32,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29248965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lulupickles/pseuds/lulupickles
Summary: Will Stephanie see her faults? Does she have a future with Ranger? Stephanie goes through a series of traumatic events causing her to rely on her friends for assistance. This is a Babe HEA. Not Morelli, Mrs Plum friendly.
Relationships: Ricardo Carlos Manoso/Stephanie Plum
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

A Stephanie Plum and Ranger fan fiction story. I do not own the original characters. Most characters belong to Janet Evanovich, I'm only playing with them.

PROLOGUE

I woke up this morning feeling really good about my choices in life. After the events from last week, I know Ranger still 'loves me in his own way', but not quite to ready to risk a long term relationship. That's when I realized there is a man in my life who loves me and is ready to be a part of my crazy family, although not unconditionally. Currently, I'm in the on again of the on-again-off again relationship with the hot Italian stallion who is Joe Morelli. He is 6' tall, dark wavy hair, chocolate brown eyes and muscular ... yummy. Dragging myself out of bed, I went into the kitchen and made myself that needed cup of coffee to start my day. Nothing can be worse than last week, being kidnapped by Bernie Stupe. I have never been more scared in my life. Having my grandmother kidnapped was the scariest event in my life. Being kidnapped myself and finding my grandmother shackled and looking terrified had me see red; no one messes with my family. Sure, I was scared myself, but I have an unusual ability to get myself out of scary situations and maintain my sanity. The times I can't save myself, I have my protector, sometimes lover, mentor, best friend Ranger and his Merry Men to come to the rescue. I don't like being the damsel in distress, but having a team of men watching over me has been handy.

I work for my cousin Vinnie (on my dad's side) as a Bail Enforcement Officer, chasing after low to medium bond skips or FTAs (failure to appear). When someone breaks the law and is sent to jail, they contact my cousin Vinnie to bail them out for a 15% fee. If they miss their court date, they become FTA. I receive 10% of the bond as a reward for recapturing them and reentering them into the system. Some days I'm actually good at my job. Most times I'm incompetent, but mostly I'm lucky. I have the ability to stumble across and solve some cases Joe Morelli was investigating, using my spidey-sense. Most of the arguments Joe and I have are directly related to my job. Joe doesn't like my job, or hanging around Ranger. He says I give him heartburn.

I like my job most days, but when I don't have any skips and I need to pay rent or buy food, Ranger gives me a job at Rangeman researching new hires or higher bond skips he's locating. Rangeman is a security and skip tracking business owed by Ranger and a few silent partners. His housekeeper Ella takes care of the men at Rangeman. She prepares food for the men, washes their laundry and cleans Ranger's apartment. Her husband Luis is the maintenance manager. The few times I worked at Rangeman, Ella would purchase the Rangeman uniform of black T-shirt, black cargo pants, black shoes and sometimes black bra and panties. She sews the Rangeman logo on the clothing to identify them as Rangeman workers.

It's been a few days since I've seen Ranger or Joe. Ranger, as always is in the wind, always in the background watching over me. I wonder what Joe is doing today, we haven't made plans to see each other but he needs to know my decision. Today, nothing can go wrong, I will tell Joe that I'm finally ready to settle down. I went to the bathroom to tame my shoulder length, brown curly hair and give my lashes a swipe of mascara. My brown curly hair is from my Italian dad's side of the family, my blue eyes and pale skin is from my mom's Hungarian side. Looking in the mirror, I told myself 'Yes Stephanie, you can do this. Pull up your big girl panties and talk to Joe, he will be happy with your decision'. When I arrived at Joe's house, I realized things could be MUCH worse than being kidnapped.

CHAPTER 1

There is only one person I hate more than my ex-husband Dickie Orr, and that is Joyce Barnhardt. During grade school, Joyce Barnhardt would spit in my lunch, poured water on my chair and told everyone I peed my pants. In high school, she took pictures of me in the gym change room and distributed the photos. Within a few weeks into my marriage to Dickie, I came home early from work and saw red at the display in front of me. Dickie was having sex with Joyce laying on my dining room table. My Italian temper kicked in; I yelled and told Dickie we were through, that I wanted a divorce. Our divorce, to this day, is known throughout the 'Burg as the loudest, most public divorce in the history of the 'Burg so everyone knows why I divorced Dickie.

I left my apartment, went to the parking lot and sighed while opening my POS car. The car-du-jour is an old Concord. When I say old, I mean OLD (as in older than me). However, it was the only car I could afford at the time. Crossing my fingers, I put the key into the ignition and prayed it will start. Turning the key, I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding, as the engine caught and the car started.

Arriving at Joe's house my spidey-sense was telling me something was wrong, very wrong. Joe's green SUV was parked on the road, but there was something I was missing. What was I missing? I spared another look at his house and noticed the curtains were closed. Hmmm, Joe doesn't usually close his curtains during the day. Looking down the road, I noticed a familiar looking red Corvette. I yelled "No no no no no! It can't be! Tell me this isn't happening! He said nothing was going on between them."

Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out the Yankees key tag which held Joe's house key. I ran up to the front door and very quietly unlocked and opened the door. After quietly closing the door behind me, I slowly walked through the living room into the dining room and heard the all too familiar noises. The display in front of me was none other than my boyfriend Joseph Morelli screwing Joyce Barnhardt on his pool table. The same pool table he bought while 'saving for an engagement ring'. Flashes of Dickie and Joyce together went through my head. I threw the house key I was still holding, hitting the back of Joe's head. Screaming, I grabbed any object I could find and threw them at Joe and Joyce. "JOSEPH MORELLI! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME? You said you wanted to marry me and I find you like this? With this BITCH? We are through! There is no way we can continue this relationship. We are DONE! KAPUT!"

Joe looked over his shoulder and chuckled. "Ya, I knew this would piss you off, but it was worth it. We didn't expect to be caught."

What? Did he really say that to me? I stood there, frozen by his confession. He purposely did this to me? Why? Did he expect me to forgive him? Which in this lifetime will NEVER happen. Joyce laughed. "I always enjoy the ride with this Italian stallion. If you left my tracker in your bag, I would've known you were on your way here and we wouldn't have been caught."

"What exactly is THAT supposed to mean?" I asked. Joyce laughed even harder. "It took two years for you to finally catch us. You catching me this time was more entertaining than when you caught me with Dickie".

I started up the stairs to the bedroom and bathroom to gather my belongings. Stopping halfway up the stairs, I shivered and retreated to the main floor. The thought of some skank using my belongings had me deciding to leave them behind. I walked slowly to the living room and carefully sat on the couch. Feeling dizzy, I put my head between my knees and took a few deep breaths. After a few minutes, Joyce dressed and left the house. "See you later bad boy," she called over her shoulder.

Joe kneeled in front of me. "Are you okay?" I raised my head and my voice, "Are you SERIOUS? Am I okay? NO JOE I AM ANYTHING BUT OKAY! I need to get out of here and I don't EVER want to see you again." I stood up to walk out the door.

Joe grabbed my arm and said, "Cupcake, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Joyce doesn't mean anything to me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Exactly what part of 'We are done! Kaput!' did you not understand?" Wrenching my arm out of his grasp, I walked out the door towards my car. Getting into my car was a difficult task as I was shaking uncontrollably. Somehow I managed to open the door and start the car. In my peripheral vision, I saw Joe running towards my car. Quickly, I locked the doors. He was waving his hands and yelling, "Steph! Cupcake! Please come back. I love you and you belong to me. You're MINE!" Taking a deep breath, I pulled away from the curb. After two blocks, I was crying too hard to see the road. I pulled over to the curb, put my head in my hands and sobbed.

After what seemed like hours, the gut wrenching sobs subsided and heard my phone ring. I picked up my phone and checked the display. I noticed there were ten missed calls from Joe and five missed calls... from my mother. This time, it was my mother calling. CRAP! I have no interest speaking to Joe, and no desire to hear my mother's 'why me' lectures. Ignoring my mom's call, I moved to put my phone down, but it rang again. This time, the call was from Ranger. With tears still flowing down my face, I answered the call barely squeaking, "Yo."

"Babe." His voice was soft, so I knew he was worried. "Babe, talk to me." I opened my mouth to speak, but I had no words. My phone slipped from my fingers and fell to my feet. In my rear view mirror, I saw a black Porsche 911 park behind me. The car belongs to Ricardo Carlos Manoso, my protector and friend. He opened his car door, ran over to mine and said, "Please Babe, open the door."

I unlocked my door allowing Ranger to pull me out and hold me close. "Estoy aquí agora, mi amor," he whispered in my ear. Feeling his warmth and hearing his comforting words, I relaxed in his arms. Ranger scooped me into his arms, carried me to his car, then placed me in the passenger seat. "Babe?"

"Please Ranger, take me home."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Ranger grabbed his phone to make a call. "Tank. Arrange for Stephanie's car to be picked up. I'm taking her home." In a daze, tears still streaking down my face, I barely noticed where he was driving. I'm usually a very talkative person, but I found myself withdrawing. My face was blotchy and my nose runny. I kept wiping my nose on my shirt sleeve as my crying subsided.

Around fifteen minutes later, Ranger pulled into his Haywood Ave building. Noticing where we parked, I asked, "Why did you bring me to the bat-cave Batman? I thought you were taking me home?"

Ranger looked at me with a fleeting glimmer of love in his eyes. "Babe, I did. This is home." My jaw must have dropped open because Ranger leaned over, carefully closed my jaw and kissed me gently. "I'm a mess Ranger. I need a hot shower and cake. Lots of cake."

"I know Babe. There's chocolate cake in my apartment, but I can drive you back to your apartment if you prefer." I jumped out of the car and ran to the elevator... he had me at 'cake'.

When the elevator doors opened, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his embrace. Kissing the top of my head, he used his fob to access the seventh floor. Once his apartment door opened, he placed his keys in the bowl and removed his gun. Grabbing my hand, we moved towards the couch. Ranger sat down, pulling me into his lap. "Are you ready to talk about it? I had Ella bake a chocolate cake for you. She also left a casserole dish in the oven. What would you like to do first?"

"Ranger, I really need to take a shower. I want to wash away all the icky feelings and clean my face." Releasing me from his arms, Ranger helped me to my feet.

"You know where everything is. You have a change of clothes in my closet from the last time you worked for me. Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be waiting for you in my office."

I let my thoughts take me back to a few months ago. I went into the Plum Bail Bonds office to see if Connie, the office manager and my friend, if she had any skips for me. She started to hand me a folder for the newest FTA when Joyce bounced out of Vinnie's office and grabbed the folder. "Thanks Vinnie. I appreciate it."

Lula happened to walk through the door. "Say what?" I met Lula a few years ago when I was looking for a skip. She was brutalized by Benito Ramirez and left for dead on my fire escape. Lula is a former 'ho and is more often my partner when I look for skips. Lula looked at me, then Joyce and then Connie. Her eyebrow was raised in the 'what just happened' look.

Joyce trilled, "Vinnie just gave me the only skip we have, bye bye bitches." Then she walked out the door.

"I always smell sulphur whenever she's here," Connie stated. Lula wanted to stun gun her for old times sake, but I wanted to just leave. I drove to the Tasty Pastry and sat in my car for almost an hour.

My phone rang and I noticed it was Ranger. "Yo," I answered.

"Babe. Why are you sitting outside the Tasty Pastry?" I noticed his car parking behind me.

"I need a donut, but I have no money. Vinnie gave the only FTA to Joyce Barnhardt. I really hate that woman."

"Meet me at Rangeman, I have a job you are uniquely qualified for." The job involved security detail for the senator and his wife. I was 'uniquely' qualified because I'm a woman. The Rangeman staff are all male, with exception of the housekeeper. I would be able to follow the senator's wife into areas where men are not allowed.

Shaking my head, I returned to the hot water pouring over my body. I love this shower, there's an endless supply of hot water and the tantalizing smell of Ranger's Bulgari Green shower gel. Pouring a small amount of the shower gel in my hands, I washed my hair and body. "Babe. Is everything okay in there? I can hear you moaning."

CRAP! His shower gel always reminds me of the nights we shared his bed, during the off-again part of my relationship with Joe. Usually smelling his shower gel causes the Catholic guilt to haunt me. I was surprised to realize this time, I wasn't feeling guilt. I'm free to be with whomever I want. Right now, I need to get my head on straight and deal with the issues I'm currently facing. First, I need to talk about what I witnessed today. Second, I need to visit Bobby, the in-house doctor, on level 5 for a psychiatrist referral.

Keeping this within Rangeman will prevent the Burg gossips from wagging their tongues. Third, the locks on my apartment need to be changed. I know Joe still has a key. Maybe I should ask Rangeman to secure my apartment too. Fourth, I desperately need training, which will make Ranger happy. He's been offering to train me for years. Protecting myself is top priority. Finalizing my mental list, I exited the shower wrapped in a towel.

I entered Ranger's room and walked into his huge closet. On the shelf closest to the door, I found my clothes, a T-shirt, pants and socks - all black. Huh... no underwear. I don't want to wear the ones I wore earlier and I don't really like going commando.

A light knock on the door followed by Ella's voice grabbed my attention. "Stephanie dear, open the door, I have a few items for you."

Opening the door, I noticed a pink bag in Ella's hand. I recognized the Victoria's Secrets bag. Which means I now have underwear. WHEW! "Thank you so much Ella, I really appreciate you buying me underwear."

"Stephanie dear, I didn't. Lester had fun shopping and choosing the items for you." Blushing, I grabbed the bag. Great, now ALL the Merry Men will know what I'm wearing under the RangeGear. Lester is such a blabber mouth. I sometimes call Ranger Batman and calling his men 'Robin' didn't seem right. They are not sidekicks, but protectors, so they are the Merry Men.

Once dressed, I left Ranger's bedroom and walked into the kitchen. Locating the casserole, I peeled back the foil ... macaroni and cheese. It smells amazing. I grabbed a plate from the cupboard and scooped a huge amount onto my plate. Reaching into the drawer, I pulled out a fork and started eating before I sat at the table. Feeling a prickly sensation at the back of my neck, I knew Ranger must have heard me and left his office. I looked up and smiled at him. "Ella is an amazing cook. She remembered macaroni and cheese is my favourite non-cake comfort food."

Ranger smiled. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. I could really use the company." Ranger dished some macaroni and cheese onto a plate and sat next to me. "What happened to 'the body is a temple'? I thought you didn't eat macaroni and cheese."

"My body is a temple for only four days a week." We ate our food in companionable silence. Once I emptied my plate, Ranger moved to get the chocolate cake.

"Can we wait to have the chocolate cake? I need to tell you what happened first and I'll need the chocolate cake after," I reasoned.

"Ok." Ranger grabbed the empty plates, rinsed them and put them into the dishwasher. He came back to me, grabbed my hand and led me back to the couch. I bit into my lower lip, not knowing how I was going to get through the story without losing myself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie learns more about Morelli’s cheating ways.

CHAPTER 3

Ranger sat me on the couch leaving minimal space before sitting next to me. Pulling my legs underneath my body, I looked at Ranger and prepared to tell him about my visit to Joe this morning. After taking several deep breaths and chewing on my lower lip, I started talking. "I went to Joe's house this morning to tell him I decided to quit my job with Vinnie and spend my life with him. However, my spidey-sense told me something wasn't right. When I went into his house, I found him having sex with Joyce on his pool table. I told him it's over and I don't ever want to see him again. Now he keeps calling and leaving messages, but I don't want to talk to him or listen to his fake apologies. Joyce said they've been messing around with each other for years. When I asked him years ago, he assured me nothing happened. I always suspected he was stepping out, but I thought it was with Terry Gilman."

Joe and Terry dated for most of high school, so this was more logical to me. Him and Joyce completely took me by surprise. I took a deep breath and looked down at my fingers, twisting them in the bottom of my t-shirt. Ranger grabbed my hands. "Continue."

I looked into his face and noticed his jaw was clenched, but his expression lacked surprise. "Ranger, did you know?"

"Know what?" he asked.

"That Joe was stepping out on me?"

"From the first day you started dating him," he said.

I looked at Ranger, face frozen with my mouth wide open. So many questions rushed through my head. That long? He's been cheating on me all along? How did I not know this? "Oh man, I must be the dumbest person around. How did I not see the signs?" I put my head in my hands and started to cry again. "All this time he was 'working' he was cheating. Was it just with Joyce?"

"No," he quietly said.

"How many women?" I asked, unsure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Babe, you don't want to know."

"WOW. I really am a complete idiot or too desperate seeking my mom's approval. My mom convinced me he changed, that he wanted to settle down, be a dedicated husband and father. Every time we broke up, mom convinced me to give him another chance."

"Babe, your mom knew."

I was completely stunned. The tears started to flow freely again. Ranger pulled me into his lap and held me tight to his chest. He rubbed small circles on my back to comfort me, but he did not saying anything. Letting me cry and mumble as I sorted through my thoughts and emotions. I feel so betrayed, manipulated and devastated. How can my mom do this to me? She knew Morelli was cheating on me, but she never said a word. Why would she encouraged me to return to him after each break up? Did she forget what Dickie did to me? "She must think I don't deserve a faithful partner since I'm divorced. Is there something wrong with me? Can I only attract thy type of man who cannot be faithful?"

"Babe." He whispered in my ear, "There is nothing wrong with you. You are the most beautiful, kind, generous, intelligent and resilient woman I know." He bent down and kissed my cheek. "Morelli is the idiot."

Once the tears stopped and my breathing returned to normal, Ranger held me at arms length and asked, "Do you want to share your list for self improvement?"

"Yes. But I need to see Bobby first. He's integral to my mental and physical health."

"Do you want to go to him, or would you feel more comfortable if he came here to you?"

"Would you mind bringing him to me? I really need that chocolate cake right now." Smiling, Ranger went to the kitchen, put a large wedge of chocolate cake on a plate and brought it to me. "Ella makes the best chocolate cake with fudge icing." He left the apartment in search of Bobby while I ate the cake, moaning when the fudge icing melted on my tongue. I made a mental note to thank Ella for the comfort food, especially the cake.

After a few minutes, Bobby rushed into Rangers's apartment with his medical bag tightly grasped in his hand. "Bomber! Are you okay? Ranger said I was integral to your mental and physical health. What happened? Are you injured? Do you need X-rays, scans, tests? Tell me what you need from me."

"Ranger, do you mind leaving for a few minutes? There are things Bobby and I need to discuss in private."

"Babe, I'll be on level 5 if you need me." He turned his attention to Bobby, "Text me when you are finished your examination." Leaving me and Bobby in his living room, Ranger left his apartment shaking his head, slightly annoyed with Bobby.

"Bobby, I need to know if I carry any STDs. Joe and I always used protection, but there is always a small chance of contracting something. Can you run some tests?"

"Yes, but are you sure you wouldn't feel more comfortable with your female doctor?" he asked.

"I would, but I can't risk having my mother find out from the nurses or other nosy patients. Every time I visit Dr Lucas or the hospital, someone calls her and provides the details of my visits. Which she then spreads throughout the Burg. My mom is incapable of keeping anything to herself, especially when it concerns me. You are my only chance of keeping this private."

"Ok. We'll start with some basic tests. I'll need to draw blood and gather a urine sample." Bobby gathered the necessary supplies to draw blood. I felt lightheaded as he stuck the needle in my arm. "Relax Stephanie, It will be done soon." He placed a small bandage over the injection site and told me he was finished.

Bobby handed me a urine collection cup, "Go to the bathroom and fill this for me." Ugh. I mentally slapped my forehead. I can't go pee at the drop of a hat. Blushing, I said, "Uh, can it wait until I have to ... you know... go?"

"Sure Stephanie, we have time. The blood and urine tests addresses your physical health. How can I help with your mental health?"

"Uh... I'm not sure how to ask... can you recommend a female psychiatrist to help me? You know... someone who doesn't know me... someone outside of Trenton? Is this possible?"

"I have a female friend, a psychologist, who may be a good fit for you. She lives in Newark, but frequently visits her grandmother at Shady Pines in Trenton. I can ask her if she can spare time to meet with you after visiting her grandmother."

"That should work." Panic started to set in. "I can't meet with her in my apartment or anywhere public... what am I supposed to do?"

"I'll contact Sophia and set up a meeting time and a safe, secure place. I'm sure Ranger will allow you to meet with her in my office." No chance of being overheard in Bobby's office. I sighed in relief. "I don't know how to thank you Bobby." I jumped up and hugged Bobby. "Ok, hand me that cup, it's time to fill it."

Chuckling, Bobby handed me the sample cup.

Bobby: You can return to your apartment.

Ranger: How did it go?

Bobby: She asked to see Tank.

Ranger: Why Tank?

Bobby: Something about training...

Ranger rushed back to the apartment and walked into the living room as I was handing the urine sample to Bobby. My face flushed red as Ranger watched me hand Bobby the sample. Oh Boy! I'm so embarrassed. "Um. Hi Ranger."

"Babe," Ranger said as the corner of his lips turned up slightly. I was amusing him as usual. Feeling suddenly nervous, I turned to Bobby, "Thanks for your help Bobby. Call me when the test results are in."

Bobby gathered his medic bag and samples then left Ranger's apartment. Ranger walked over to me, draped his arm across my shoulder and said, "I'm proud of you Babe."

"Ranger, can I ask for a favour?"

"Anything," he answered.

"Really? I'm not sure how to ask, but can you... uh... maybe have someone change may apartment door lock?"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two keys attached to a Rangeman key fob. "Already done. Before you get mad, I have also added two more video surveillance cameras. One on the fire escape and another in your apartment living room."

"WOW. I wasn't expecting all that. You already have surveillance cameras installed in my foyer and outside my apartment door, why would you add more? I was going to ask for live time monitoring instead of tape loop," I stated.

"Stephanie, the cameras outside your apartment door and fire escape will be monitored in live time, but it will be best to keep the foyer and living room cameras on tape loop." His eyes darkened. In my ear he whispered, "We wouldn't want to provide my men with a show... do we?" I blushed and felt the heat roll throughout my body. Mentally fanning my face, I remembered the type of 'show' he was talking about. Ranger kissed me gently. I moved my hands up his chest and grabbed his T-shirt. He deepened the kiss, running his tongue across my lips to gain access into my mouth. I melted into his kiss and returned the passion. Ranger put his hands under my shirt and slowly moved his hand up to my breast.

I pulled away quickly. "Ranger, you know I'm attracted to you. But we can't do this right now. I need some time to sort out my feelings and get answers."

"Okay, I'll wait as long as you need. That fob also acts as a panic button." He pointed to the fob attached to my apartment key. I grimaced as I thought 'Great, now I have 2 fobs, a panic fob and another to Rangeman and his apartment. It will be really embarrassing if I press the wrong one while visiting Rangeman.

Collecting my thoughts, I left Ranger's apartment and went to Tank's office on level 5. He looked up and smiled when I knocked on his door. "Bombshell, what are you doing here?"

"Hi Tank, I need to set up some time for training. Basic self defence and maybe kickboxing?" I asked.

"Does Ranger know you are asking me to help?" Tank asked, wondering if I was feeling sick.

"I didn't tell him, but knowing him, he already knows," I answered.

Tank chuckled and thought 'She's right, Ranger already knows. In fact, Ranger approached him earlier, granting authorization to help Stephanie with any training she requested'.

Noticing the glimmer in Tank's eyes, I mumbled, "Figures... Batman knows everything." Tank laughed. He is a man of very few words, kind of like Ranger. His real name is Pierre, but he really hates that name. He received the nickname Tank during his service in the Army Rangers with Ranger. His nickname suits him, because after all, he's 6'6" and built... like a tank. After typing something on his computer and printing a schedule like sheet, Tank sent a few texts. Hmmm... I wonder who he recruited... Ranger? Lester? Bobby? Cal? Hal? Honestly, it could be any of the Merry Men. They've been bugging me to train with them for years.

As I impatiently shift from foot to foot, I quickly check my mental list to make sure I didn't miss anything. Meet with doctor for tests... check, change locks and step up surveillance on apartment... check, ask for training help... check, receive referral to psychiatrist... check (I hope... fingers crossed). Ok... my check list is complete. Feeling nervous I asked, "Tank, when can I start my training?"

Before Tank had a chance to answer, Lester and Hal walked into Tank's office. "We're here to start Beautiful's training," Lester practically sang.

Hal shook his head and grinned. "Leave it to Lester to spoil the news before you could tell her Tank." Tank handed me the workout schedule. As I read it over, I groaned... Monday to Friday running 6 am with Hal. I hate running, unless it's in Macy's for their shoe sale... and at 6 am? When am I supposed to sleep? Hal laughed, "She must have seen the running schedule." Reading more of the schedule I groaned louder... Monday, Wednesday, Friday core training with Lester... great... of course they assigned 'chatter box' Lester for the floor stretches and exercises. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday weight training with Tank... oh boy, he won't let me get away with anything. Sunday kick boxing and self defence training with Ranger... ya, there's a few positions I wouldn't mind trying.

Lester doubled over laughing, "She obviously read the part where she trains with Ranger. Her eyes bugged out, mouth popped open, moaned then her face turned red." Tank attempted to stifle his smile causing Lester and Hal to laugh harder.

My phone pinged in my pocket. I grabbed my phone and read the message. Bobby: 'Hey Bombshell, Sophia will be in Trenton tomorrow evening. She said you two can meet in my office at 2000 hrs. Does this work for you?'

I texted back, 'Yes, that time will work. Thank you Bobby.' Now all the checks are in place on my mental self improvement list. The training schedule weighted heavy in my head. Part of the training schedule included an approved list of foods. I read the food list again... fresh fruit, plain yogurt, whole grains, eggs, fish, chicken, fresh vegetables... where's the cake? I don't see any, peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, bacon, pancakes, Tastykakes, donuts or desserts. What did I just volunteer to do? Wait a minute... Ranger's apartment still has that chocolate cake. It would be a shame for it to go to waste.

While on a mission to 'eat the remaining cake', I called Ranger. "Yo," he answered after one ring.

"Hi Ranger, um... I don't feel like going home tonight. Can I stay with you?"

"Babe." I took that to mean 'yes'. I waved goodbye to Tank, Hal and Lester, turned around and walked to the elevator thinking 'that chocolate cake is as good as mine'. When the door opened, Ranger was leaning against the far wall waiting. He pulled me tight to his chest and into the elevator. Feeling his warm body pressed against me, the chocolate cake was momentarily forgotten. "In my bed," he said as his eyes darkened. I mentally fanned myself as I looked into his eyes.

"Uh... I can sleep on the couch," I said as my face flushed.

"Babe, sleep in my bed, but if you climb on top of me like you usually do, I may not be able to control myself."

My face flushed red. "Thanks, but I'll sleep on the couch. I need to straighten out my life first."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events at Joe’s house, Stephanie finds her livelihood threatened.

CHAPTER 4

My cell phone continuous ring woke me from sleep. Still half asleep, I answered without thinking, "Who died?" It was 2:30 am, too early for me to have a coherent conversation.

"Cupcake, LET ME IN!" screamed Morelli. "I'm at your apartment and my key won't open your door." I toppled off the couch, landing on my shoulder. Ranger rushed from his room to see if I was alright. Seeing the phone in my hand, he raised his eyebrow silently asking who was calling. I mouthed 'Morelli' then put the call on speakerphone. "Please Cupcake" Joe begged, "Open the door and let me in. I love you. I miss you. You're the only woman I want."

Pinching my nose, I took a deep breath and said, "No! I can't let you in because I'm not at my apartment. You don't love me. I don't want to see you anymore. Please stop calling me and leave me alone."

Ranger's phone buzzed with a text 'Morelli is trying to pick the lock on Stephanie's door. Should I deploy a team?'

'Yes. But if he refuses to leave, contact Carl Costanza at the Trenton Police he's on the night shift.'

Joe started screaming, "WHERE ARE YOU? WITH RANGER? Did you jump into his bed after leaving me this morning? You are MY PROPERTY. I had you first. You're MINE!"

Exasperated, I mumbled, "Goodbye Joe," and I hung up the phone. My hands were shaking as I placed my phone on the coffee table. Tears running down my face. Ranger pulled me into his arms and we sat on the couch.

"Babe. You're safe here. Please don't cry." He kissed my forehead and gently stroked my back. His touch always has a way of calming me... but I needed sugar.

I sighed, "There's no more cake. I already ate it all and I need more cake." Ranger laughed.

"No Babe, you didn't. I hid a piece just for this reason." He released me and grabbed the cake from its hiding place. "I had a feeling you would need this."

I threw myself into his arms, nearly knocking the plate from his hand and kissed him. "Thank you."

"Babe".

I woke up feeling a heavy arm draped across my chest, a warm body pressed against my back and I could smell that mouthwatering Bulgari shower gel scent. I realized I was in Ranger's bed with no recollection of how I got there. The last thing I remembered, I was sitting in Ranger's lap on the couch, eating cake. I must have fallen asleep and he carried me to his bed. "Babe. I can hear you thinking." I tried to get out of bed, but Ranger's strong arms pulled me closer. "I like waking up to you in my bed and in my arms."

"Ranger, I shouldn't be here. I need time to figure out what I want to do."

Ranger looked at me, his brown eyes darkening as he said, "I have a few suggestions." Oh Boy. I know that look. Memories of our last time together, during the last time Morelli and I were in the off-again part of our relationship, flash through my head. Ranger looked at me with love in his eyes. He pulled me closer to him and kissed me passionately. I lost myself in his kiss and melted in his arms. "Mujer hermosa, mi amor."

I love it when he speaks to me in Spanish, he sounds sexy. Although I don't know what he's saying, it makes my heart skip a beat and my knees go weak. He effortlessly picks me up and carries me into his bedroom. Carefully, he lays me down onto his bed as he kisses my lips. Moving his hands across my abdomen and under my shirt, he grabs my shirt hem and slowly pulls it up over my head. He reaches behind me, expertly removing my bra as he brushes soft kisses across my forehead, eyes, cheeks and lips. He licks, then kisses my neck, across to my collarbone licking and kissing as he makes his way down my body. Licking and kissing down my breasts, across my abdomen down to my... I snap out of my thoughts. A night with Ranger is pure magic. He's an amazing lover and I will never regret our nights together.

Ranger says he wants a relationship with me, but just not one that comes with a ring attached. When I have car troubles, he gives me a car, when I have no money for rent or food, he gives me a job. I know he's protective of me, tries to keep me safe and he loves me, but he can't offer me anything more. Part of the reason I'm so confused is because I love both Morelli and Ranger. "Ranger, I have to leave. I need to see if Vinnie has any skips for me. My rent is past due and I need to check in on Rex."

Rex is my pet hamster and also my roommate. I don't like leaving him alone for too long in case he gets lonely. I smiled as I thought about the day I bought Rex at the pet store. My apartment has just been fire bombed again. Randy Briggs is temporarily staying in my apartment while his was being repaired. In the previous week, someone sent a fire bomb into Randy's apartment that obliterated everything. Since the fire bombing was directly linked to the skip I was tracking, Randy stayed at my apartment. Unfortunately, Oswald, the fire bomber, discovered Randy was staying in my apartment and launched a fire bomb through the living room wall. In his hasty exit from my apartment, Randy grabbed the cage containing Rex. I found Randy in the building lobby his arms wrapped around Rex's cage. Rex was hiding in his soup can. Later that night, I noticed Rex never came out of his soup can, and there was a familiar smell. I tipped the soup can and discovered Rex had died. A few tears ran down my cheek as I cleaned out his cage. I questioned the universe wondering why so many bad things keep happening to me. As I was driving around aimlessly, I parked in front of the pet store where I found Rex. Entering the store, I automatically went to the section of hamsters. Looking in the cage, I saw 'Rex'... it couldn't be. This hamster looked and behaved exactly like Rex. I found an employee and asked to purchase the new hamster. Rex, actually Rex II but nobody needs to know that, loved his new cage and immediately hid in the new soup can I added earlier.

"Babe, are you still with me? Your eyes glazed over and you didn't answer my question." Looking up at Ranger, I smiled and asked him to repeat his question. "Babe, I have an empty apartment on level 4. Would you like to stay there for a few days?"

"Thank you Ranger, but no. I need to go back to my apartment."

"Do you need any money? I can use your help on a security detail."

"Let me check with Vinnie first, if there aren't any skips, I may take you up on the job offer." Ranger walked me to the elevator, opened the door and lightly brushed his lips across mine.

"Let me know when you change your mind." It didn't go without notice that he said 'when' not 'if' I changed my mind. I blushed as the heat from our exchange rushed through my body. After entering the elevator and selecting the parking garage, I finger waved goodbye to Ranger.

Lost in my thoughts, I drove to my apartment to shower and change my clothes. While in the shower, my apartment phone rang. I was curious who called my home phone since most people call my cell number. Looking at my answering machine, I saw 25 new messages. I listened to the first message... it was my mom "Stephanie, it's your mom. Call me immediately." The second message, also my mom, "Why me? Why do I have a daughter who argues with her boyfriend in the street? What will the neighbours say? Call me!" Sighing, I scrolled through caller ID on my phone. Seeing most calls were from my mom or Joe and only 1 from my best friend Mary Lou Stankovic, I deleted all the messages. I took a trip to Tasty Pastry and bought 6 donuts and 2 coffees.

Winding through the Burg, I parked in front of Mary Lou's house. Hearing my light knock on the door, Mary Lou opened the door and pulled me into a hug. I followed her into the house and sat at the table with the treats. Her boys, hearing the bakery bag crinkle, ran into the kitchen asking for a donut. Mary Lou handed both boys a donut and told them to play in the family room. "What happened Steph?" Mary Lou probably knew what happened, but she always wanted to hear my side of the story first. While eating donuts and drinking coffee, I told Mary Lou everything. She was furious to hear Joe cheated on me with Joyce. Apparently, that was neglected in the story circling the Burg. The rumour Mary Lou heard was that Joe proposed, but since he wanted me to quit my job, I lost my temper and falsely accused him of cheating. Mary Lou asked, "Who would spin that tale?" Unfortunately, the likely answer would be 'my mother'. I checked the time and told Mary Lou I needed to check in with Vinnie. Hugging her one last time, I left her house and got into my car. Could this day get any worse?

I should not have asked that question because yes, it can certainly get worse. Vinnie was in a foul mood when I arrived at the bonds office 20 minutes later. When I opened the door, he leaned out of his office and yelled, "Is she here yet?"

"Yes I'm here Vinnie," assuming I was the 'she' he was referring to.

Turning my attention to Connie I asked, "Do you have any skips for me? The only skip I have has left town and I'm not authorized to chase after him."

Connie looked at Vinnie then looked back to me and said, "He wants to talk to you in private." Nothing good ever came out of talking to Vinnie in private. It meant 1 of 2 things... 1 I'm out of a job, or 2 Joyce hasn't visited him for a nooner lately. I bet on 'I'm out of a job'.

I walked around Connie's desk, entered Vinnie's office and sat in the chair across from his. "Steph, I don't take any pleasure in saying this but... I have to terminate your employment. We aren't receiving the amount of skips we used to and I can't afford to have you moonlighting."

"Moonlighting? What do you mean Vinnie?" I practically screamed.

"I heard you accepted full time employment at Rangeman."

"What? I'm not a Rangeman employee," I said through clenched teeth.

Vinnie squirmed in his chair, realizing he was misinformed. "Well, too late, the decision has been made. I need the file for Buster Singer." I handed him the file then left the Plum Bonds office for the final time. Great... my mom finally got her wish. A new panic set in. How will I pay my rent?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie begins her journey to heal herself. Living in denial land isn’t conducive to her mental health. It’s time to face those hard truths. Remember, we get by with a little help from our friends.

CHAPTER 5

The persistent banging on my apartment door woke me from my afternoon nap. I could hear Lula yelling and banging on the door. "Open the door girl, I need to talk to you. I brought fried chicken." Bless her, she always knows how to improve my mood. I opened the door to see Lula dressed in bright pink leggings, a skimpy leopard print top and high heeled fuzzy pink boots the colour of her pants.

"Hi Lula. What are you doing here?"

She shifted on her feet and sheepishly said, "I heard Vinnie fired you and I figured you could use some fried chicken and wine to cheer you up." Searching through her bag, she pulled out a bottle of cheap wine. "See... I have it right here."

"You thought of everything, come in." Smiling at Lula, I stepped back to let her in. We ate the chicken and drank the wine out of coffee mugs since I don't have wine glasses. "Thanks Lula, I really appreciate you checking on me, but I'll be fine. I can always find another job."

"I know you will girl. But I just needed to see for myself that you're alright." Lula looked at her manicured fingers, trying to figure out how to tell me her news. I could tell she had something important to say. If I don't do something soon, she'll leave without telling me.

"Tallulah!" I snapped my fingers in her face, feeling impatient. "Your excuse to 'check on me' isn't the real reason for visiting me, is it?" I gave her my 'start talking' look that I have perfected.

"I also wanted to talk to you. Remember those night courses I took at the college?"

She waited for me to nod before continuing.

"Yes, you took all those psychology and self help courses."

"The professor was so impressed with my grades and we got talking about how I used to be a ho until I was messed up by Ramirez. Each student was asked to use everything we learned and apply the treatments to heal from our negative past experiences. I wrote a paper explaining how the course therapy lessons helped me realize why I chose to be a hooker. My mom died when I was 5, so I was put into foster care. Living in the foster care system was really rough. I was moved around more than 15 times by the time I turned 16. Most of my foster dads were very bad men. Dr Rebecca Clarke feels I could help other ex-hookers recover from that lifestyle. She's starting a clinic and offered me a full time job with medical benefits. The pay is more than what Vinnie pays me for filing."

"Lula, that's amazing. Congratulations, I'm very happy for you. Imagine how many women you can help."

Grimacing, Lula looked at her manicure again before saying, "But I'm going to miss you something terribly. The job's in Newark and I have to move tomorrow." Ah... mystery solved.

"I was wondering why I haven't seen you lately. You could have told me." She had a smile on her face when she finally looked at me.

"I was afraid you'd be mad at me Steph. A chapter in my life is closing and I have more opportunities in my new job."

I gave Lula a hug. "Don't be a stranger. Call me anytime you need to talk."

"Thanks Steph. I was hoping you'd understand." Lula glanced at her watch. "I'd like to stay longer, but I still have to pack. Take care of yourself Stephanie. Give Ranger a chance... any man who looks that hot has to be worth the risk. Before you say no, I see how he looks at you."

"How does he look at me?"

She laughed and said, "He looks at you like a man in love." Lula gave me a hug then left me to my thoughts. I know Ranger loves me. But is he in love with me? He always said his life doesn't lend to relationships.

Thinking about how much I'll miss Lula, I decided to deal with the dreaded phone call to my mother. "It's about time you called me back Stephanie. Why do I have to have a daughter who won't return my phone calls?" my mother admonished.

"Mom, I AM returning your phone calls."

"And why are you and Joe arguing in the streets in front of all the neighbours? Louise Skrupnick's daughter doesn't argue with her boyfriend in front of the neighbours. Joe is a good man, who else will be willing to marry a divorced woman?"

"MOM SHUT UP!"

I could hear my mother gasp over the phone. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, how DARE you speak to me that way. When..." I hung up the phone before she could continue her tirade. Once she gets going, there's no way to get a word in edgewise. It's best to let her calm down.

My cell phone chimed the Batman text tone, indicating a text from Ranger. I looked at my phone 'Are you okay? I noticed you were home all afternoon.' Ranger knows I'm usually skip tracing until dinner time.

'I'm fine.' I texted back.

Ellipses appeared on the screen as he typed his reply, 'Babe. Who do I need to kill?' I thought for a minute... hmm my mom? No. Vinnie? Maybe.

I texted back, 'No one worth mentioning.'

'He he... I'm going to call you. Please answer.' The Batman theme song started playing... Ranger was calling.

I answered, "Yo."

"Babe. I heard Vinnie fired you today, do you need a job?"

"Yes, but can I give you an answer tomorrow? I'm supposed to be meeting Sophia for a session tonight in Bobby's office."

"I'll see you after your appointment."

"Okay Ranger, but I still won't have an answer for you." He hung up before I could said 'bye'. One of these days, I'm going to be the first to hang up.

After eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich, I left my apartment to meet with Sophia. Driving to the Haywood Ave building, I fobbed my way past the gate and into the Rangeman parking lot. Anticipating my arrival, Ranger left me the coveted spot next to the elevator doors. Leaving me his primo parking spot had me grinning. He parked his Porsche 911 in the spot to the immediate right. I parked and got out of the car, finger waving at the camera before entering the elevator.

Bobby's office is on the third floor in the Rangeman building, tucked beside the gym and opposite to the conference room. His office is soundproof and unmonitored by the Rangeman cameras. An infirmary is located through a doorway in his office. This allows Rangeman employees to have private wellness checks with the in-house Dr Brown. The door was closed when I arrived. Thinking I missed my appointment time, I checked my watch... 7:45 pm. Huh... I'm early... that never happens. There weren't any chairs to sit on outside the office, so I decided to walk around.

To waste time, I entered the gym to see which of my Merry Men were exercising. I saw nobody using weights, but I could hear grunts and thumps from the roped off mat area, tucked in the back corner. Before I recognized who were sparring, the back of my neck tingled telling me that Ranger was in the gym. Walking towards the ringed mats, I saw Ranger and Tank sparring. Both men, at some point, had removed their shirts and were covered in sweat. All the Rangeman guys were muscular and drool worthy when topless. I started drooling as I watched Ranger's muscles ripple as he effortlessly tossed Tank to the mat.

Oh Boy! Ranger is hot... washboard abs and muscles everywhere. Tank is also muscular but not enough for me to stop staring at Ranger. I wouldn't mind if he tossed me to the mat and pressed his sweaty, muscular body against mine. A bead of sweat rolled off his face and down his neck. I licked my lips, moaning, as I thought about licking the moisture off his neck, pecks, abs... Lester boisterous laughter ended my trance. "Close your mouth, Beautiful. Here's a tissue, you're drooling." My face flushed red. Lester must have been in the change room and I was too preoccupied ogling Ranger to notice his entrance.

Tank and Ranger chose that precise moment to stop sparring and look at me. Tank suddenly feeling embarrassed and shy, quickly grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. Ranger, obviously comfortable with his body, grabbed his shirt and stalked towards me, locking eyes with mine. "Do you like what you see?" Speechless, I licked my lips. Ranger's eyes darkened as he closed the gap between us and kissed me senseless. I was taken by surprise as it was unusual for Ranger to kiss me in front of his men. Tank cleared his throat, causing us to break apart.

My face flushed red as I quickly recovered and glanced at my watch. "Look at the time, I have to get to my appointment." Attempting to exit gracefully, I tripped over my feet... falling flat on my ass. My traitorous legs gave out on me. Before the door closed behind me, I heard Tank, Ranger and Lester laughing. Ranger once told me I was entertainment and I amused the men. Apparently, that's true... they find me amusing.

Bobby's door was open when I returned to his office. Sophia was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room. As I walked into the room, she rose from her seated position. She appears to be in her late 40s, maybe early 50s, slim, dirty blond hair, warm green eyes and is slightly shorter than me. Walking towards me, she extended her hand to introduce herself "Hi, my name is Sophia, you must be Stephanie."

Shaking her hand I said, "It's a pleasure meeting you." Bobby nodded in our direction, left the room closing the door behind him to give us privacy.

Before I could sit in the chair next to her, Sophia began speaking, "I would like to provide you with a few details about myself before we get started. Having you feel comfortable with me is the only way these therapy sessions will be successful. I grew up in New York, Queens to be specific. My undergrad in Psychology was completed at Stanford and I studied at Columbia University for my PhD, Behavioural Psychology is my specialty. I was raised by my grandmother from the age of 15 when my mother was unable to provide me with a stable, loving, nurturing home after a brutal divorce from my dad... one of the reasons for my specialty. You can share as much or little as you wish, but you have to be honest. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"Yes. How does this work? Do I just start talking, or do you ask me questions? I've never done this before, so I'm not sure what to expect."

"First, you should tell me why you decided to seek help."

I took a deep breath and thought of how I can explain myself without sounding like a selfish brat or a victim. "Well, I've been in an on-again-off-again relationship with Joe Morelli for the last 4 years. To give you the full picture, Joe touched me when I was 6 and he was 8. My mom blamed me and I was grounded. He had talked me into playing choo choo in his parents' garage, I was the tunnel, him the train. Even though I didn't know what 'choo choo' was, I still followed him out of curiosity. When I was 16, I worked in Tasty Pastry. One summer day at closing time, he came into the shop and bought a cannoli. He hung around until closing time, locked the door and raped me. After I was raped, he convinced me that I wanted to have sex with him. He wrote all about the encounter in the men's washroom at the stadium and various restaurants. Knowing my mom would blame me anyways, I never told her it was rape. I told my Grandma Mazur everything and she was always there to lend an ear. At age 19, I was angry at Joe and was tired of the ridicule and judgement I received from everyone in the Burg, I purposely ran my car over the curb hitting Joe, breaking his leg. When I started working at Plums Bonds, he was my first FTA. After I captured him, he seemed so sweet, protective and kind. So when he convinced me to date him, I agreed. Soon after, we fought and broke up, thus beginning the on-again-off-again cycle. I kept giving him chance after chance, but it always ends the same... with us fighting and breaking up. What do I keep doing wrong?"

"Stephanie, can you tell me why you two keep fighting?"

"Mostly he wanted me to quit my job. He didn't want me hanging out with any of my friends, not even my best friend Mary Lou. We fought whenever Ranger came to my rescue and really hated when I would work for him. When we were in the on-again part of our relationship, he would often have overnight 'stakeouts or undercover operations' but my friends Eddie Gazarra and Carl Costanza, both police officers, would tell me that was unlikely. These cases were so 'secretive' even his boss didn't know anything about them. Every time something involving me happened while I was skip tracing, Joe would show up to say I give him heartburn or I needed a new job and then he would walk away while shaking his head. He would rarely ask if I was okay." I lowered my head to collect my thoughts.

"Until I said it aloud, I hadn't realize Morelli wasn't supportive or concerned with my well-being. He always seemed to show up when I was most vulnerable, almost like he knew my guard was down allowing him to swoop in and take advantage," I whispered.

"Going back to Eddie and Carl, did you ask them if Joe was on a stake out or undercover? Or did they volunteer the information?"

"They always volunteered the information. Joe would disappear for weeks without any way for me to contact him. During these times, Eddie or Carl would bring me coffee, donuts or pizza. I guess they were keeping me company."

"Do you think they reported back to Joe?"

"No. I know they didn't. I have been friends to Carl and Eddie all my life. They both lived down the street from me growing up. But I do know other cops would contact Joe whenever something would happen to me or if I was involved with anything he would find disappointing." I put my head in my hands and started to cry.

"Stephanie, take deep breaths... in for 3 through your nose, out for 4 through your mouth. Repeat 2 more times."

I tried Sophia's breathing technique. "Thanks, that helped."

"Are you ready to continue?"

"Yes."

"Okay Stephanie. I want you to think about this question carefully before answering... Did Joe have any stake outs or undercover operations while you were in the off-again part of the relationship?"

I thought about all the times we broke up. He always seemed to be around more, especially when my skip would relate to a case he was working. I have the uncanny ability to be able to sniff out, or stumble across the solution to difficult cases. If something about my skip's charges didn't sit well with me, I would figure out why, trusting my spidey-sense to lead me in the correct direction. Most of the time this coincided with Morelli's assigned cases. "It looks like you had realized something important." She correctly read my facial expression.

"Yes, I was just thinking about your question. Morelli, Joe I mean, didn't seem to have any undercover or stakeouts when were split up. He would always hang around me trying to figure out what I know about my skip, who was related to a case he was investigating. But he would never tell me that my skip was related to his case. Constantly, he attempted to seduce me back into his bed so I would tell him my thoughts. I often bartered giving him information if he provided me with information. The exchange was always slanted in his favour. When I really think about it, most of Joe's difficult cases were solved because of my intuition and involvement. He wouldn't have been able to solve those cases without my help. His only leads were from information I uncovered. I feel so used and manipulated. After I helped him solve his case, we'd get back together. He would convince me every time."

"I would like to delve into this more, but I'm afraid we've already been talking for 2 hours and I still need to drive home, it's getting late. Can we meet here again in 2 days? At the same time?"

"Yes. Thank you for your help Sophia. You're very easy to talk to."

"See you next time Stephanie. But before I leave, I have homework for you. Think about why you felt you had to give Joe multiple chances." Sophia shook my hand and left. I sat quietly in the chair for only 5 minutes before I felt that all too familiar tingling sensation on the back of my neck. Knowing it was Ranger, I turned my attention to the door. He walked towards me and pulled me tight against his chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie is making great progress. She risks going to Pino’s and quickly realizes not all things go according to plan.

CHAPTER 6

Feeling raw after my session with Sophia, I followed Ranger to his apartment. He led me to the kitchen counter and poured me a glass of red wine. "Babe. Bobby told me your session with Sophia went well."

Surprised Bobby discussed my session with Ranger, I replied, "She's a very nice woman and easy to talk to. I wasn't expecting to jump right into our session. But she made me feel comfortable and I was willing to share. I hope she didn't discuss details of our session with Bobby." I was thinking about telling Ranger details of my session but he stopped me.

"You don't need discuss your therapy sessions with me or anyone else. Sophia never discussed your session with Bobby, she only informed him that she feels like a good fit for you."

I twisted my fingers before saying, "Sophia wants another session in 2 days. But since I don't have a job anymore, I'm not sure I can afford to continue the sessions."

"Babe," he said quietly with the undertone of frustration. "Your session fees have been paid and will continue to be funded by me. No arguments."

I sighed in resignation, "You do too much for me."

"You're worth every penny," he said so quietly, I barely heard him. He removed the empty wine glass from my hand and placed it on the counter. I didn't realize I drank it already. After pulling me into his arms, he lightly kissed my forehead. "It's late, stay here for the night. Your self-defence training starts at 0900 hours tomorrow." Mentally groaning, I agreed to stay the night. It would be easier getting to the gym if I was already in the building.

Ranger handed me a pillow and blanket before leaving and going to his bedroom. I turned on my cell phone and noticed the astounding number of messages left in my voice mail. My mom left six messages lecturing me and Joe left me four begging for yet another chance, that he's sorry, asking me to forgive him and telling me how much he loves me. Joe also slipped that Joyce convinced Vinnie to fire her. After talking to Vinnie, he admitted to me that Joyce and Joe asked him to terminate my employment. As I had blackmailed Vinnie for a job, Joyce and Joe blackmailed Vinnie to fire me. They had video proof of his ongoing affair with Joyce and threatened to send it to his father-in-law, Harry the Hammer, and Vinnie's wife. He apologized to me, insisting there was no other option for him. Vinnie also said Joe told him I was working for Rangeman, having them collect my files so I could charge a higher capture fee from him. This couldn't be farther from the truth. He said since he couldn't afford to pay me a higher fee for the low bond skips, it solidified his decision to fire me. Gripping my phone tightly in my hand, I screamed and pitched it into the closest wall. My phone landed on the floor in pieces.

Ranger ran out of his room to see what happened. He was wearing only a pair of black boxers. Smirking, he said, "Babe. I guess this means you need a new phone?"

I lay on the couch willing myself to fall asleep. At 3:00 am, I was still tossing and turning. If I didn't get sleep soon, I was going to be a mess in the morning. The reason for my restlessness had nothing to do with the therapy session or phone messages, but everything to do with Ranger wearing those sexy black boxers. I wanted to run my tongue down those perfect abs, to run my fingers through his long silky hair and wrap myself around that firm, muscular, warm body. Unable to ignore his magnetic pull, I gave up my position on the couch and walked into Ranger's room. As quietly as possible, I slid into bed beside him, my back to him. Sensing me in his bed, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to his chest, until I was settled in comfortably against his chest. I let out a contented sigh and fell asleep feeling safely wrapped in the cocoon of his arms and body.

The shower was running when I woke up, the space beside me empty. I quickly glanced at the clock, 6:00 am, way too early for me. Rolling over, I pressed my face into Ranger's pillow, allowing the smell of him to lull me back to sleep for another few hours. Ranger shook me awake at 8:00 am, a coffee in his hand. "Babe, time to wake up. Training starts in 1 hour. Breakfast is in the kitchen." He left the room, leaving the coffee on the night stand. I knew if I didn't get up right away, he'll be back to drag me out of bed and toss me into a cold shower. I crawled out of bed, drank my coffee and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

Showering can wait until after the workout. I walked into the large walk-in closet to search for clothes. Finding black yoga pants, a skimpy white tank top and my black Rangeman t-shirt... but no underwear, so I guess I was going commando. After dressing, I went to the third floor gym to stretch my muscles. Ranger's eyes found mine within seconds of me entering the gym. Huh... I wonder if he can also detect when I'm near... like we both feel that irrepressible tug of the magnetic pull towards each other. The feeling that I can't breathe unless he's in my life. That impenetrable desire I feel when he looks at me or kisses me. The electrical charge that sparks through my skin whenever he touches me or within touching distance. 'Stephanie snap out of it', I admonished myself. Shaking my head clear, I walked to the floor mats and completed my warm-up stretches.

Ranger started teaching me basic escape maneuvers. He held my arms behind my back to teach me how to escape his grasp. I repeated the same restraint measures on him, to see how he would maneuver from the grip. We kept repeating the same maneuvers until I could finally escape his restraint. The final time I held his arms behind his back, he attempted to escape my grasp but tripped over my extended foot. We crashed to the floor and I landed on top of him. He wrapped his arms around me and we kissed completely losing ourselves to the passion. After hearing the cat calls and whistling from his men, I jumped up feeling embarrassed. My t-shirt was feeling damp and uncomfortable so I pulled it off. Ranger heard a collective gasp from his men. "Leave. Right. Now!" Ranger ordered his men. His men quickly retreated to the change room as Ranger used his body to block mine from their sight. When I removed my t-shirt, the men had noticed my nipples clearly visible through the sweat drenched, clingy white tank top.

I glanced down and my face flushed red. SHIT! Tank returned to the gym carrying a clean black t-shirt. Ranger nodded his thanks and pulled the t-shirt down over my body, covering me almost to my knees. "Is this Tank's shirt? It's HUGE."

"Babe," Ranger exhaled. I took this to mean he was annoyed. "It's my spare shirt. Tank knows I wouldn't allow you to wear any of my men's clothes."

"Jealous much?" I muttered under my breath.

Ranger sighed a barely audible "yes." I wanted to grab Ranger and kiss him, but I was afraid it I did, I wouldn't be able to stop myself. It's important for me to fix myself before becoming further involved with Ranger.

For the next few weeks, I adjusted to the schedule of morning runs, exercises, and my therapy sessions. My blood and urine tests all came back negative and I was relieved to know I am still healthy. I still didn't enjoy running, but it was getting easier. My endurance and stamina were improving daily. Through the therapy sessions, I realized my relationship with Morelli was toxic. We were stuck in a never ending destructive loop. Morelli and I aren't made for each other, we are incapable of giving ourselves fully to each other. We can't commit to each other because there is always the knowledge, deep in our hearts, that we don't trust each other. I discovered the main reason I gave him multiple chances was because my mom expected me to. My mom's opinion matters to me more than I realized, since I am always seeking her approval. However, she would my insecurities to manipulate my decisions and used my love of desserts to coax me into visiting. During my last appointment, I told Sophia about my feelings for Ranger. She pointed out that I was obviously in love with Ranger, but since I kept going back to Morelli, I was right for not exploring them further at this time. Dealing with my trust issues were vitally important to building a relationship with anyone else. As hard as it was, I forgave Dickie and Joe for cheating on me. When I was married to Dickie, I didn't really love him, nor him me. I was 'in love with the idea of being in love'. I know it seems strange, but I only married him because my mom approved of him. She as happy that both her girls were married. I pretended to be happy since it made my mom happy.

Sophia and I talked about when I dated Joe. Initially, I was enamoured by his smooth talk and sexy manner. We didn't talk or go on dates, yet I never questioned why we didn't. Our time together was spent in front of the TV watching sports or having sex or having sex while watching sports. He didn't take time to get to know who I really am. His sole focus was for us to have as much sex as possible.

Whenever I spent the night, he would start having sex with me in the morning before I was even awake. Often, I would wake up as he finished having sex with me. Sleeping in his bed apparently meant he could use me however he wanted. Having sex without consent is rape. If I married him, it would have been a daily occurrence. Letting him get away with this, I must have given him the impression he could tell me what to do, that he owned me and could use me and my body as he saw fit. I never called him out on the 'having sex with me while I slept'. It bothered me every time, but I kept quiet. I was attempting to keep the status quo of our relationship, but after a while, the status quo was never good enough. Sophia helped me realize our relationship was never about love, it was about Joe assuming ownership of me. This type of relationship, if allowed to continue, would never end well. I've already resolved to never go back to Joe, this insight cemented my resolve.

The biggest change I made was my diet. I was making better choices and only eating when required, not eating whenever I was experiencing emotional upheaval. I still have dessert, but no longer daily. Since I was taking care of my mental health, I discovered I no longer needed to have the sugar to calm my nerves. Sophia helped me realize I was 'eating my emotions'. Now I use the punching bag or kickboxing to express my frustration or anger. Morelli was calling my home phone less frequently, but his messages were all the same, "Call me, the boys miss you (the 'boys' referred to his balls). Bob misses you." All tactics he previously used to manipulate me into giving him another chance. Not this time. This time I know it's just a ruse, he doesn't really want me. He just wants to stop Ranger from having me.

Ranger had replaced my cell phone the day after I smashed mine. Ranger assured me that all Rangeman employees have company issued cell phones. Very few people had my new number, so I only received calls from Ranger, Rangeman employees and my Grandma Mazur (I gave her my number). There are very few people I trusted with my new cell number. Since I refused to give mom my new number, my dad told me to only call his cell phone or home phone from my home phone from a Rangeman office phone. If my mom needs to pass on important messages, she could call my home phone number and leave a message. So far, I haven't talked to her or returned her any of her calls. Unless she stops her 'Why me', 'Joe wants you to call him', 'You should be with Joe' speeches, I have no desire to speak to her. I only call my parents' house when I know she isn't home and I can talk to my dad or my grandmother. Often, my grandmother calls my cell phone to talk, but never when my mom was around. I meet my Grandma Mazur for lunch a few times a week and meet my dad for dinner every Thursday night. I have yet to visit my sister Valerie and my nieces. I was missing my nieces and ached to spend time with them. Mary Alice is a lot like me. She has a vivid imagination and often gallops around while pretending to be a horse. Angie is more like Valerie, smart, always behaving in the appropriate manner. I called Valerie to talk. When she invited me to dinner on Friday, promising it was just them and the girls, I accepted the invitation.

Friday night arrived and I drove to the Kloughn's house for dinner at 6 pm. I checked the cars parked on the street and the cars in their driveway looking for my mom's car. Relieved that her car wasn't here, that she didn't invite herself, I parked and walked up the sidewalk to the door.

I knocked on the Kloughn's door and I started seeing red when my mother opened the door. It appears Valerie was trying to force me to talk to mom. "Valerie! How could you invite her? You promised me it was just you, Albert and the girls." Valerie briefly looked ashamed.

She straightened her back and said, "Steph, you are always overly dramatic. Mom didn't do anything wrong. If you had listened to her in the first place, none of this would be happening." I couldn't believe this. Val was so understanding when I talked to her on the phone, but I realized she manipulated me. Why does everyone manipulate me... I'll have to ask Sophia. My dad entered the room and asked me to talk to mom. His eyes had dark circles under them and he looked tired. Resigned, I moved into the living room and sat on the couch. Surprisingly, my dad sat beside me and grabbed my hand.

"Pumpkin, it's okay to tell your mom how you're feeling. She won't want to hear it, but you still need to tell her." I was shocked because my family didn't discuss feelings, we drowned them in food and desserts.

"Mom, if you want to be a part of my life, you need to stop browbeating me. I'm not going to get back together with Joe. In fact, I'm not going to date anyone for awhile. I need to figure out what I want to do with my life. If you can't support my decision then I can't have you in my life. The ball is in your court. I hope you make the right choice. Valerie, I'm sorry, but I need to leave. You broke your promise. Please respect my wishes in the future." I stood up, hugged my dad, my nieces then Albert before I walked out the front door.

After another session with Sophia, I realized I need to take more control over my life. There are some unresolved issues. Which means, I need to talk to both my mom and Morelli to forgive them. Starting with Morelli, I called him from my home phone and left him a message meet me at Pino's for 8 pm tonight. I heard through my friend Carl that he was dating Connie Rosolli, my friend when I worked for Vinnie. This was a bit of a shock to me, since Connie always stated she would never date Joe. She thought he was hot, but she would never date such a womanizer or a cop. I guess you should never say never. The second call was to my mom who answered after the first ring. I guess she was waiting by the phone, hoping I'd call. "Stephanie, I'm so glad you called. Can you come over for dinner tomorrow night at 6 pm? I want to be part of your life and agree to support all of your decisions." She saved me from having to invite myself over.

"Hi mom. I have a few requirements before I agree to dinner tomorrow. No dinner guests... only you, me, grandma and dad. No telling anyone, not Valerie, not your Burg friends and certainly NOT Joseph Morelli, that I will be there for dinner. If you do not honour my terms, I will leave your house immediately and never speak to you again. I plan to have a Rangeman security detail to ensure you honour my terms. Do you agree to these terms?" My mom had to think for a few minutes. I could hear the cabinet door open, and liquid being poured into a glass.

After hearing her gulp, she answered, "Yes, I could agree to that." I suspected she needed to have a shot of whiskey before agreeing to have me visit with a Rangeman security detail close by.

"See you tomorrow mom. Bye." As I hung up the phone, it rang in my hand. Looking at the caller ID, I saw it was Morelli. I took a deep, calming breath and answered. "Hello."

He exhaled loudly before saying, "Cupcake, I'm so glad you called me."

I took a few deep breaths before speaking. "Joe, don't call me Cupcake. I was hoping we could meet at Pino's to talk. Are you available at 8 tonight?"

He quickly replied, "I'm always available for you." I mentally slapped my forehead.

Hoping I made the right decision I said, "Okay, I'll see you then. Bye." I hung up before he could comment further.

My cell phone was in my back pocket, I pulled it out and sent Ranger a text, 'Hey, can you send someone to Pino's for 8 tonight? I'm meeting with Morelli and I would feel better if I had backup.'

Ranger's quick replied, 'Babe.' Shaking my head and smiling I thought Ranger obviously means yes, he will send someone. At least that's my interpretation.

Driving the Rangeman issued Jeep Cherokee, I parked in the lot behind Pino's at exactly 7:55 pm. That gives me a few minutes to relax before seeing Morelli. I walked into Pino's to see Eddie Gazarra and Carl Costanza sharing a table with two other cops. They waved me over to their table when they saw me.

"Hey Eddie, Carl, long time no see," I said as I walked towards them.

Eddie stood up and gave me a hug. "It's been a while since you've been involved with a bombing, food fights, or fire. Where have you been hiding?"

I was still doing skip tracking at Rangeman, but the police station drop off was always handled by my partner. "I'm working at Rangeman now. Been keeping busy and staying out of trouble. How have you been?"

I never heard Eddie's response because Morelli walked in the door and yelled, "Hey Cupcake, it's about time you decided to come back to me."

Carl jumped up from his chair to protect me when he heard my groan. Before he or Eddie could put themselves between me and Morelli, I said, "Joe, I invited you here to talk. I never said we were getting back together."

Joe looked down at his shoes, "Oh. I thought you wanted to have THAT talk." I directed him to a table at the back. Waving my arm, I grabbed the attention of the waitress.

After taking my order of Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken and Morelli's order of Meatball sub (no surprise), I decided to begin our conversation. "I've been giving a lot of thought about our relationship and I forgive you for cheating on me. Before you interrupt me, I want to say that I'm sorry for all the grief I caused you. I realize now, our relationship will never work and I wanted you to know there's no chance of a reconciliation. Please stop calling me." I watched as Joe allowed my words to sink in.

"Let me guess, you've already started screwing Ranger," he said in a venomous tone.

"Joe, who I date or 'screw' as you so crudely put it, is none of your business. Likewise, who you share your bed with is none of mine. I was hoping we could at least be friends, but now I see that isn't possible."

The waitress put our plates of food on our table before Morelli had a chance to respond. She asked, "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

After watching Morelli's face turn red and the anger in his eyes, I asked her, "Can I get a take out container? I've decided to take my dinner home with me."

She quickly agreed, "Sure, give me a minute to grab one for you."

The waitress left giving Morelli the opportunity to lose his temper, "YOU CHEATED ON ME FIRST YOU STUPID BITCH. MY GRANDMA BELLA WARNED ME ABOUT YOU." He balled his fist and started to swing his fist towards my face. "I SHOULD HAVE..." He didn't get the chance to finish his rant. As Morelli attempted to punch me, I grabbed his fist, twisted his arm behind his head and smashed his head into the table, right into my dinner plate. Eddie and Carl ran to my aide when they saw Morelli swing his fist. They looked impressed that I could handle myself. I started panicking. OH CRAP! I assaulted a police officer. From the tingly feeling on the back of my neck, I knew Ranger was close.

Ranger suspected Morelli would try to cause me physical harm and volunteered to be my security detail. "Thanks for jumping to my aide boys, but as you can see, I can handle myself." Ranger smiled. I could see he was proud of me. "I never cheated on you Joe. We're done here. Goodbye."

Ranger dropped enough money on the table to cover both meals and a generous tip. Turning to me he asked, "Are you ready to go? I do believe someone still needs to eat dinner." Eddie and Carl assured me I wouldn't be charged with assaulting a police officer since Morelli was off duty. I hugged Eddie and Carl then left Pino's with Ranger.

Tank was standing beside my car with his hand held out, "I'll take your car and Rex back to Rangeman. You won't be safe in your apartment tonight."

Dropping my car and apartment keys in his hand I said, "Thanks Tank. See you tomorrow." With a quick wave, Tank drove away. Ranger draped his arm across my shoulder and led me to his Porsche 911. He opened my door, waited for me to get in and shut the door behind me. Opening his phone he sent a quick text.

Ranger drove back to the Rangeman building and parked his Porsche in his usual spot beside the elevator. He fobbed our way to the seventh floor and opened his apartment door for me. When I stepped in his apartment, I smelled Fettuccine Alfredo. Leaning into Ranger, I kissed his cheek and said, "Thank you Ranger. I was really disappointed when I couldn't eat my meal from Pino's. It was my pasta day."

The corner of his mouth twitched as he said, "I asked Ella if she could make you Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken for dinner. It was a happy coincidence your ordered it at Pino's." This wonderful man really knows me. After dinner, I used Ranger's bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. He still had my spare toothbrush in his bathroom, and I still had clothes in his closet. I found Ranger in his home office, so I pushed his chair back from his desk and sat in his lap. He automatically wrapped his arms around me. I leaned in to kiss him. The kisses started out gentle and quickly gained intensity. Ranger put his hands under my shirt on my back and ran his hands up to my shoulders, removing my shirt in the process. His touch was sending electric currents through my body, warming me in all the right places. We've been keeping our emotions tightly reigned, but this passion crashed all our barriers. Losing all our clothes, we found it impossible to stop.

He gently lifted me into his arms and carried me to his bed. I couldn't prevent what happened next. The palpable heat between us could no longer be ignored. Our bodies refused to be denied the connection they craved. Ranger licked, nibbled and kissed every inch of my body, the impenetrable desire finally consuming us. He never expected or asked for reciprocation. When our bodies finally joined together, it was explosive. I have never experienced anything like this before, not even the last few times we were intimate. It was like our minds and body joined to become one. Laying in his arms completely spent, I realized I was completely in love with this amazing man. As I was falling asleep, Ranger whispered in my ear, "Babe. Mi Amor, mi vida, mi corazon, mi alma, mi futura esposa. I'm irrevocably in love with you."

I whispered back "I love you too." I missed the radiant smile on Ranger's face as I said those words.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie can’t seem to catch a break. More people interfere in her life and forces decisions to be made. She goes to her parents’ for dinner, but it doesn’t go the way her mother expects.

CHAPTER 7

I have been working at Rangeman for the last two months. My job was a bit dull at times, but I was enjoying the steady paycheque. The typical background checks were boring, but sometimes I was given an investigative research project, which was more exciting. Using my spidey-sense, I'm able to hone in track down information Rangeman applicants attempted to bury. Most hidden information hindered the hiring process and more times than not, they weren't hired. My work day at Rangeman started at 11 am, which gives me the chance to complete my workout routines prior to beginning my day. Part of my workout routine includes teaching kickboxing and self defence to abused women and children. Rangeman rents an old dance studio for this purpose. I enjoy teaching women how to empower themselves, to not allow these abusive men to take away their self worth. It was very therapeutic for me and the women. Combining exercise and teaching was Ranger's solution to keep me exercising and helping others. Ranger knew I needed to spend time helping others before spending my day staring at a computer monitor. I was looking forward to the day I could work in the field doing security checks. But first, like all Rangeman employees, I had to pass all the required tests. Physical fitness, psychiatric and gun range tests. I still had a long way to go for the physical fitness requirement, but I passed the psychiatric and gun range tests with flying colours. In the gun range, you needed an 80% accuracy rate on all weapons in order to pass. I currently have an 85% accuracy rate. The only person with a higher accuracy rate is Ranger at 86%.

Sophia helped me sort out my issues with Joe and my mom. She helped me explore my growing feelings for Ranger. I cut off all ties to Morelli. When I met with him at Pino's last month, I saw a side of Joe I never experienced, but other women warned me about. It appears that all the Morelli men were exactly like their abusive, philandering father. The day after my amazing night with Ranger, I went to my parents' house for dinner.

_I parked my Jeep Cherokee in front of my parents' house at 5:55 pm. Before parking, I scoped the area for my sister's car and Morelli's SUV. So far, it appears my mom took me seriously, she didn't invite anyone else for dinner. I received a text form Ranger 'All clear' followed by one from Tank 'All clear'. They were telling me there was no detection of Morelli's or Valerie's cars. My mom was peaking through the front curtain, while my grandmother was waiting by the door. When I exited my car, my Grandma Mazur's face lit up with a huge smile. My grandmother is the best. She always had a way of making me feel welcome. Ranger's car parked 4 houses down the road. I knew he would have another Rangeman car around the corner. My parents' house hasn't changed much since the last time I visited. They installed new carpet in the living room and new tile in the kitchen. I sat across from my grandmother at the table._

_My mom carried the roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans into the dining room from the kitchen. I was surprised to see the green beans weren't covered in cheese or in a casserole. When we started to eat, Grandma jumped up from the table and set another plate. I was about leave the table when I felt my neck tingle. "Ranger, what are you doing in here?"_

_He smiled. "Edna sent me a text." I looked at my grandmother._

_Before I had the chance to ask, my grandmother said, "You looked so lonely sitting across the table, so I asked your stud muffin if he would like to join us for dinner to keep you company. By the look on your face, I know it was the right choice."_

_My mother drank more of her 'iced tea' which smelled like whiskey and mumbled, "She said she'd leave if we had anyone other than the four of us."_

_Ranger laughed, "I think it's safe to say Stephanie will stay." He grabbed my hand under the table and gave it a light squeeze. We ate dinner with little conversation. My mom apparently had nothing to say, especially in front of Ranger. She cleared the dirty plates from the table and took them to the kitchen. An upside down pineapple cake with lots of whipped cream (my favourite) in her hands when she returned. However, she was disappointed when I took a very small piece and refused seconds._

_Typically after a meal at my mom's, I eat seconds of dessert and she packs me a bag of left overs (including the remaining dessert). Today, I refused both, telling her to pass them along to Valerie and the girls. I attempted to initiate conversations with my mom, but she refused to participate and stared at her 'iced tea'. When we decided to leave, I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door to Morelli. He realized I was here and decided to ambush me. I looked at my mom saw the expression on her face... he was invited. She honoured my wishes for dinner, but apparently when dinner was done, it was fair game. "MOM! HOW COULD YOU?"_

_My mom said, "You told me not to invite anyone to dinner, but you didn't specifically say I couldn't invite someone to visit after dinner."_

_I was furious. "Dad, Grandma, I'll be in touch. Mom, I NEVER want to see you or talk to you again." I hugged my dad and my Grandma goodbye._

_Ranger was close on my heels as we left the house. He put me in the passenger seat of my car so he could drive. I asked, "What about your car?"_

_He said, "I had a feeling this would happen. Tank is driving it home." Home was Rangeman. I haven't been back to my apartment in over a month and had no intention of returning._

"Babe." Ranger broke my attention.

"Sorry, I was thinking about the last dinner at my parents' house. I still can't believe she did that to me. Is there something you needed?" His eyes dilated and moved closer to me to capture my lips with his. After being thoroughly kissed, Ranger told me they saw Morelli's car in the area and to be careful. He drives past Rangeman 2 or 3 times every hour. I was scheduled to teach a self defence class to abused women across the road in the old dance studio. Today is Tuesday, so my self defence class starts at 10 am. "Ok, I'll be careful. I can take Hal with me if it makes you feel better."

Ranger smiled, I clearly amused him. "I was going to suggest Lester, but I think Hal would be a better choice. Hal is less likely to flirt with the women." I laughed at his joke, then I realized he was being serious.

I walked across the road with Hal on my right. Morelli's car parked across the road and he jumped out. "Stephanie.. Wait.. I need to talk to you."

I heard what sounded like a gun shot, a loud ping, then felt a sharp pain in my left leg. "Crap! Something hit me in the leg. I think I've been shot. Hal call for help." I looked over at Hal. Great, he passed out when he saw the blood. I quickly looked around and saw Joyce's car speeding away. My cell phone was in my hand before I realized I grabbed it. I called Ranger, "Send help across the road. I've been shot in the leg and Hal passed out. Morelli was trying to talk to me when someone took a shot at him. He took off in his car, but I think he must have called for an EMT first because I can see them driving towards me." Ranger didn't respond. I looked around my surroundings and noticed the indentation in the metal garbage can next to the building. "Ranger, I think Joyce aimed for Morelli and missed, the bullet hit the garbage can, ricocheted and hit my leg."

I can sense his anger radiating over the phone. "Stay." I realized Ranger needed to see me before the EMT took me to the hospital.

A police cruiser pulled in front of the building seconds before the EMT. Eddie exited the car with his partner Big Dog. "Steph. It's been awhile since we've had a call involving you." He was going to say something else, but then he noticed I was shot. "Damn Steph. Someone shot you."

"Thanks Eddie, but I figured that out on my own," I said sarcastically.

Ranger appeared at my side, and pulled me close to him. "Babe. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Ranger. I've been shot before." In fact, I've been shot on three other occasions. I've been shot twice in the same arm and once in my left butt cheek. The worst was in the butt cheek. I could handle not being able to use my left arm, but not being able to sit? That was brutal. "I guess I'm unable to teach my self defence course. Do you have someone available to teach it for me?"

"Babe. Jeanne Ellen Burrows will teach the course for you."

"Why her? I don't like her and I know she doesn't like me. I know you two had a relationship in the past."

Ranger smiled then started to laugh. "Babe. Jeanne Ellen Burrows is my cousin. She's very protective of me." I was embarrassed, I had no idea they were related. Jeanne agreed to teach the class indefinitely and entered the dance studio just as the EMT left to take me and Ranger to the hospital. The bullet went through my calf muscle and embedded into my tibia. They took me to surgery while Ranger completed the paperwork.

When I signed my contract with Rangeman, one page was a power of attorney document, granting them permission to make medical decisions. However, this applied only to the Rangeman core team, who are also co-owners. I really don't like hospitals, but since there wasn't an exit wound, it was necessary for me to go.

When I finally woke up in a private hospital room, I saw Ranger and a few of the Merry Men. All the men looked tired and scared. Ranger was sitting in the chair closest to me, holding my hand. He looked as though he hadn't slept in days. His eyes were closed and his head was resting on his arm next to our hands. Tank noticed my open eyes "Ranger. She's awake."

Ranger quickly raised his head and looked at my face. "Babe. Don't ever scare me like that again."

I was confused. I looked around the room at Tank, Hal, Cal, Lester, Bobby and Hector. Why is the entire core team here? "Bobby, what happened? Why does everyone look like they haven't slept in days?"

Bobby grabbed my chart and flipped through it. "It says here the bullet nicked your tibial vein. They had a difficult time stopping the bleeding and you lost a lot of blood. Thank goodness it wasn't an artery. Since your blood type is A-, we had problems finding an adequate match for the blood transfusion. The hospital depleted it's O- reserve last week and they had no A- in their blood bank reserve. It was lucky your cousin Shirley told her husband Eddie Gazarra that you needed a transfusion. He came to the hospital immediately."

"I regularly donate blood so they should have had a lot in the blood bank. What does Eddie have to do with this? Why didn't the Rangeman guys donate?"

Bobby sat down on the bed next to me. "None of the Rangeman staff could help, we have either A+ or O+ blood types and Eddie has the same blood type as you do. He was ten when his appendix was removed. Routine blood tests determined he has A- blood type. There are only two people in Trenton with A- blood type."

"Let me guess, me and Eddie."

"Eddie isn't a blood donor. When he heard you were in the hospital needing a blood transfusion, he asked if he could donate."

"How does Eddie know my blood type?" I don't recall telling anyone my blood type. My mom had the test done when I was little and kept hurting myself.

"Eddie overheard your parents talk about it when you were kids. There's no A- blood left because Eddie was shot three months ago and needed it. They didn't have enough time to wait for Manhattan to ship some here." I didn't understand how Eddie could have donated blood for me. You needed to wait a minimum of twelve months before donating after a blood transfusion. The blood donation clinic always asked the question, 'Have you received a blood transfusion in the last twelve months?' before I was allowed to donate.

"Babe. When they realized it was your blood donated to Eddie, they made an exception."

I looked at Bobby and asked, "How long have I been in here?" His face looked grim. I had a feeling I wouldn't like the answer.

"You've been here for four days. The doctors kept you sedated to give you time to heal. With the risk of having only one possible donor, we invoked our power of attorney and decided this was the best solution."

Feeling my anger build, I sat up in the bed, opened my mouth to speak when Eddie walked into the room. Grinning, he walked over to me and gave me a hug. "Steph, I'm so glad you're alright. I was so scared."

"Thank you Eddie. I hear you saved my life."

Eddie sheepishly looked at me. "I always knew we had the same blood type, but I never realized we were the only ones in Trenton. There is usually a lot of O- blood on hand, but with all the shootings, they depleted their stock too fast. Whenever I had blood transfusions, they always had A- available. Now I know you are the one donating, so I thank you for saving my life multiple times. Once I'm able, I'll be making regular donations. They only made the exception this one time for you. The hospital arranged to have regular shipments of A- and O- blood from the clinic in Manhattan. This should help both of us if we get shot again." Eddie hugged and whispered, "Please don't get shot again. I don't want to lose my best friend. Oh... other than Shirley and these men, nobody else knows you're in here." After a few 'goodbyes' to the men, Eddie left the room.

"Didn't you guys tell my dad or Grandma I was here?" Tank and Ranger looked at each other. The silent argument ended with a brief nod from Ranger.

"Little girl," Tank started, "We asked the hospital administration to admit you under a fake name." Why would they do that? What exactly are they hiding from me?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie attempts to find the person responsible for her injury. She discovers more about herself as she seeks help. Stephanie doesn’t seem able to catch a break.

CHAPTER 8

Before I was released from the hospital, the doctor explained why I was sedated. I had a severe reaction to the Sulfa based antibiotics and went into anaphylactic shock. Having just received a blood transfusion, they wanted my body to rest providing me time to heal. I was discharged from the hospital on Sunday wearing a boot cast. The doctors didn't want to cover the incision so they could watch for signs of infection. They would have put a cast on my leg, but with the allergic reaction, they decided against one. I was started on a heavy dose of penicillin to reduce the risk of infection. Bobby promised the doctor to monitor my condition and keep him updated. Ranger grabbed my bag, passed it to Bobby and held out his arms for me. I reached up, wrapped my arms around his neck, allowing him to pick me up. He held me close and kissed me. "I know you don't like wheelchairs, but hospital policy says you have to use it." Sighing, I nodded and allowed him to place me in the chair. Carefully, he lifted my feet to place them on the footplates. I noticed his car was parked outside the hospital door in a 'no parking' zone. Tank quickly hopped out and opened the passenger side for me.

Ranger lifted me from the wheelchair and placed me in the car. "You don't need to be that gentle with me Ranger. I won't break."

His lip curled slightly then said, "You are precious cargo." My heart rate increased and I blushed. Ranger leaned across me to attach my seat belt and lightly kissed my lips.

"Where are we going?" I asked breathlessly.

"I'm taking you home," he said in between kisses.

Walking into the Rangeman building, I noticed all the Merry Men were standing in a line, waiting for me. They needed to see for themselves that I was okay. Passing me from one to the next, they hugged me and told me they are happy to see me. Ranger grabbed my hand and helped me walk to the elevator. The boot cast made me slightly unbalanced. He used his fob and pressed seven for his apartment. Once we entered his apartment, he pulled me onto his lap and sat on the couch. "Babe, I have some good news and bad news to tell you. Which do you want first?"

I could see anger, grief and relief flash across his face. Not being sure what caused the emotions, I decided, "Good news first. I need some happy before you upset me."

He briefly smiled before answering, "Joyce has been charged with attempted murder. She is in jail, being held without bail. During her arraignment, she admitted the intent to kill Morelli, but her shot went wide, ricocheted and hit you accidentally. Since she confessed to attempted murder in the first degree, she will spend many years in jail and you don't need to testify."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for telling me Ranger. I saw her car at the scene, but I was hoping someone else witnessed her involvement too."

He lightly sighed before saying, "Babe, now for the bad news. We need to discuss your living arrangements."

"What do you mean? I have my apartment and that's where I live," I said out of confusion. Ranger lowered his head, unsure how to tell me the bad news. "Just tell me, I can handle it," I groaned.

"Steph, the day you were shot, someone disabled the security cameras and destroyed your apartment that night. The apartments above and below yours and your apartment are uninhabitable at the moment. It was lucky no one was living in the one above you. Mr Holstein in the apartment below you was visiting his daughter in New York."

My face turn white as I asked, "What do you mean inhabitable?" I was starting to shake.

"It means your apartment has a huge hole in your floor and ceiling. We don't know who destroyed your apartment, that's why you were admitted into the hospital under a false name. It was the only way we thought to protect you." He pulled me closer as I cried. I was homeless. In five days, my life has been turned completely upside down. I'll need to see Sophia again.

I woke up feeling disoriented. Looking around, I realized I was laying in Ranger's bed fully clothed and it was dark outside. Carefully I crawled out of bed. I slowly walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water as I checked emails on my phone. Ranger was sitting at the dining room table with papers spread around his laptop. He asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I'll be okay Ranger. Can I stay here until I find a new apartment? I just received my eviction notice." Thankfully I had apartment insurance. The insurance company will pay for all damages to the apartments, but only if I was evicted or agreed to move out. Apparently the property owner agreed with the insurance company and issued the eviction notice.

"The police are expecting your statement and want to know where you were during that time. Obviously you were in the hospital, but they still need your statement," he said while watching a video on his laptop. I really didn't want to visit the police station. There wasn't anything I could offer regarding my apartment. I leaned over Ranger's shoulder to see what he was viewing. He pointed to the video and said, "I keep watching this surveillance footage, but I seem to be missing something. Can you watch it and see if you can find something I'm missing?"

Sighing, I said, "Sure." I watched the video a few times. "Huh... that's really strange. I can see a brief shadow, but then the camera gets blurry, almost as if something is coving the lens," I said while tilting my head.

"What else can you see?"

Taking another look, I gasp. "Is that the camera inside my apartment foyer?"

He nodded as he answered, "Yes. We received notification there was a breach to your apartment, but when my team arrived, the apartment was already engulfed in flames so the building was evacuated. Everyone made it safely outside without injuries."

I was thankful my neighbours were safe, but I needed to see more, so I asked, "Can I see footage from the fire escape camera?" Ranger showed me the video. "It looks like the camera is covered with something," I muttered as I rewatched the video. I wondered what was covering the camera lenses.

Ranger's phone rang, "Yo". Someone was talking to him, he glanced over at me then hung up his phone.

"What's going on Ranger?"

He reluctantly said, "Test results came back from the substance on the cameras. They used Vaseline to disable your cameras. How they managed to get close enough without being seen is confusing us. They knew your camera surveillance was no longer live." I was confused how they would know.

My appearance at the apartment was sporadic and I never slept there. I probably should have given it up months ago, but my rent was already paid for those months. "How would they know that?" I asked.

He quickly replied, "When we searched through the tapes, someone was tampering with your door. Since a Rangeman team wasn't immediately deployed, they realized your cameras were no longer sending a live feed." I realized this was my fault. After months of no one attempting to break into my apartment and me living with Ranger, I had the monitoring scaled back to tape loop. The tapes were only viewed if the door sensor was breached. If I left the live feed, maybe we could have saw the person responsible. "Babe, it's not your fault. I would have made the same recommendation." Ranger walked to the kitchen, opened the oven and pulled out a casserole dish of macaroni and cheese. "Ella left this for dinner. She assumed you would request comfort food for your first day home." Home... it feels like I'm home, but what does that mean for me and Ranger? Does he feel the same way I do? Ranger grabbed plates from the cupboard and dished food for both of us.

We ate in comfortable silence... mostly. Ranger raised his eyebrow as I was finishing the last of my dinner. "Babe, you're moaning."

"What? Ella makes the best mac and cheese," I stated between bites.

Ranger shifted in his seat, his eyes darkening as he said, "I could tell." The heat from his glare warmed my body all the way to my core. Oh boy!

I looked at the clock and noticed the time. "Ranger, I have an appointment with Sophia tonight. She says I need to talk about the shooting incident and I agree with her."

He almost seemed surprised. "Okay. I'll be here if you need me." I took the elevator to the third floor and knocked on Bobby's office door.

After hearing a muffled, "Come in", I opened the door. Sophia sat across from Bobby while he relayed the latest incident to her. Bobby stood and gestured for me to take his chair.

Once I was comfortable in the chair, Sophia asked, "How are you feeling today?"

I told her the truth instead of downplaying my injuries. "My leg aches but I'm refusing to take pain meds. I'm confused why Joe keeps showing up. He knows we won't get back together, but it doesn't stop him from trying. Every time he appears, I'm injured in some manner, usually by the hands of Joyce or Terry." I lower my head thinking about my destroyed apartment and the eviction notice. Tears stream down my face and I hastily wipe them away. Sitting up, I square my shoulders and say, "My apartment has been destroyed and I have officially been evicted. I know I can get through this, I need to get through this. In the meantime, Ranger is allowing me to stay with him. It's a good thing we've been living together for the last month, or it would be really awkward."

"Steph, are you sure you're alright? In the last week, you've experienced trauma and the loss of your home. Most people would have problems functioning, but you seem to be handling yourself quite well."

I thought about what she just said. She's right, a few months ago I would have bought all the candy bars and Tastykakes I could carry, then stuff my face until I got sick. "Sure, it's the first time I've been evicted, but it isn't the first time I've been displaced from my home. I have a safe place to stay. Technically, I've been living here for the last few months. My main focus is to discover who destroyed my apartment."

Sophia smiled and said, "You've come a long way Stephanie. I think we're done for now." Handing me a card, she said, "You already have my office number, but my personal mobile number is on the back. Call whenever you need to talk."

I took her card and said, "Thank you Sophia, you've made a huge difference in my life." With a final hug, I left Bobby's office.

Though I was wearing a boot cast, I headed to the gym to work out. I bandaged and wrapped my hands. I walked over to the punching bag. Planted my feet in front of the bag and punched it, mimicking Tank movements from earlier. "Little girl, what are you doing?"

Speaking between punches I said, "Hi Tank. I'm trying... to get rid... of all my... anger. I talked... to Sophia... but when... she left... I suddenly felt... very ANGRY."

Tank laughed but waited until I was finished punching the bag. "Is it working?"

"Yes. I feel much better."

He pulled me away from the punching bag and into a hug. "I'm glad you're okay. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you."

"Thank you Tank. I'm going back upstairs, see you tomorrow."

"Wait a minute," he said as he grabbed my hands and unwrapped them. I knew he was really checking to make sure I wasn't injured. This was the first time I used the punching bag. Leaving the gym, I finger waved to Tank and the security camera.

Arriving in Ranger's apartment, I bit my bottom lip wondering who was teaching my self defence and kickboxing classes. "Jeanne Ellen is still teaching your self defence class. Hal is teaching your kickboxing class," Ranger answered my silent question. How does he do that crazy ESP thing? "Babe, no ESP needed, you were talking."

I groaned, "I really need to stop doing that." Ranger laughed and pulled me into his arms.

He easily lifted me and carefully set me on the couch before sitting on the coffee table in front of me. "Stephanie, I have a very important question to ask you." My heart was thumping in my chest, scared he would propose. I'm not ready for that yet. He put his finger under my chin, lifting my head to look in my eyes he asked, "Stephanie, would you like to move in with me permanently?"

I was nodding before I could verbalize my answer. "Yes Carlos, I would love to move in with you. We were practically already living together."

He gave me a 200 watt smile then said, "Mi amor, I love it when you say my name."

"I love you Carlos."

"Te quiero," he whispered. I knew he was saying 'I love you'. Grabbing his hand, I led him to the bedroom.

I woke early the next morning wrapped around Ranger. The pain in my leg was a lot worse today. I wasn't sure if it was from our lovemaking last night or because I wasn't taking any more pain medication. "It's not a sign of weakness to take pain medication," Ranger said as he pulled me closer.

"I know, but I just don't like how it makes my brain go fuzzy. If you don't mind, can I use your laptop to review the videos and do research?"

As he looked into my eyes he said, "You don't need to ask, Babe. Just let me know if you find anything I missed." I kissed Ranger and carefully got out of bed.

Hopping on one foot, I made my way towards the bathroom. Before I was halfway there, Ranger scooped me in his arms, carrying me the rest of the way. He carefully set me down and closed the door so I could continue my morning ritual. When I turned off the shower, Ranger opened the door and wrapped me in a towel. He chuckled when he nuzzled my neck. I have my own toiletries, but I opted to use his Bulgari Green shower gel. "Ella sent us breakfast. It's on the kitchen counter," he said as I towel dried my hair. Ranger stripped to enter the shower. That man is so hot and I couldn't stop watching him. "Like what you see?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Always Carlos, always."

Ranger left me shorts and a tank-top on the bathroom counter. He normally doesn't select my clothes for me, but there was likely a logical reason. Before I could ask, Ranger's ESP kicked in. "Bobby needs to check the incision and change your bandages before you wear your cast." His eyes darkened as he added, "I like that tank top on you. Wait for me to finish and I'll help you move to the kitchen." Unable to resist myself, I sat on the counter and watched him shower. When he moved the loofa to wash his abdomen I moaned. Ranger quickly rinsed and turned off the shower. He opened the door, grabbed his towel and slowly dried his body, my eyes following his movement. Oh Boy! He really knows how to torture me. Smiling, he left the bathroom to get dressed, leaving me on the counter. I was too stuck in my sexy thoughts to move.

Ranger walked into the bathroom a few minutes later wearing black cargo pants, black Rangeman t-shirt and black combat boots. Picking me up, he gave me a chaste kiss. He carried me to the kitchen, setting me down on the bar stool at the counter. Ella provided bagels, salmon, cream cheese and a covered dish. Her covered dishes were usually a surprise for me. I quickly lifted the covered dish and squealed in delight, she made me chocolate chip pancakes. "Don't get used to having all your comfort foods all the time. Ella wanted to make you happy."

"She's succeeding. I wonder if she'll adopt me," I questioned again.

Ranger's phone chimed, indicating a text. "Bobby says he's outside the door.

Should I let him in?"

I shoved a forkful of pancake in my mouth then muttered, "Yes, let's get this over with so I can start my research."

Ranger opened the door for Bobby, who was carrying a medical bag. I leaned over and yelled, "Bobby, do you need me to sit on the couch?"

"No Stephanie, I can examine your leg where you are." He carefully unwrapped the waterproof bandages to inspect the incision. "There's still a bit of swelling and it looks a little red. Are you taking your antibiotics?"

"Yes DOCTOR," I say sarcastically. "I'm taking them. Why is my leg so red?" I asked while looking at the angry red mark on my leg.

"That can happen when it starts to heal," he promptly replied.

There was something in his expression that made me ask, "What aren't you saying Bobby?"

Resigned he said, "It could also be a sign of infection. But if you're taking the antibiotics properly, we can rule that out. I would like you to take Advil to help reduce the swelling."

I really hated taking pills, but I still agreed. "Okay. Advil will also help with the pain right?" I asked, trying to find an alternative option.

"Yes, but if the pain is unbearable, you should take your prescription pain medication," he said, knowing that taking the prescription meds was not going to work for me. They made me see weird things and I didn't like what I saw.

I quietly said, "I'll pass. I do have a higher pain tolerance, so I should be fine with the Advil."

Bobby glanced over to Ranger before saying, "I was monitoring the cameras last night and saw you in the gym. You were told to refrain from all exercise until I clear you." I thought 'all exercise? We really had a workout in bed last night'. Oh... he meant the punching bag.

I looked at Ranger and saw the smile in his eyes. "Ya, I know. But I really needed to hit something," I said with a smirk.

"The only reason no one stopped you was because you were only moving your upper body. If you were bouncing on your feet, Tank would have stopped you," Bobby logically stated. He applied antibiotic lotion to the incision and re-wrapped my leg with waterproof bandages. Ranger grabbed my boot cast, passed it to Bobby and watched as he snapped it onto my leg.

I walked Bobby to the door and hugged him before he left. "Thank you Bobby. I'll try to be a better patient." Bobby laughed and walked to the elevator. He knew that wasn't likely.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie surprises her friend with her knowledge of all things paintball. She explains her reasons and enjoys time with her friends.

CHAPTER 9

I finished my breakfast, rinsed the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. Ranger gave me a quick kiss then left for his 9 am core staff meeting. Grabbing his laptop, I sat on the couch, logged into the Rangeman database to begin my research. Ranger said they disabled my cameras using Vaseline, but they weren't caught on camera. Which means they needed a way to launch the Vaseline. How can you launch Vaseline? Suddenly, an idea popped into my head... was it even possible? When I was in high school, Eddie, Carl and I used to go to the paintball bunkers. Either Eddie's dad or Carl's dad would drive us there and bring us back home. They helped me hide the secret from my parents. We would spend our allowances, in my case it was money from Grandma Mazur, on renting paintball guns and buying various cheap paintballs. After a few visits, I would always buy the thick walled paintballs because they would hurt more and often left bruises. At $50 for 100 paintballs, we could only afford to go once a month.

My spidey-sense was telling me I was on the correct trail. A paintball gun and paintballs were likely used to disable the cameras. I used google and researched various paintball manufacturers. There had to be one that offered customized paintballs. I checked out a dozen stores, but most of them were out of state. Okay, so not a store, I keep searching. Something grabs my attention, what's this obscure company? I click on the website link... Eureka... I found an online site that ships from Newark. Paintball Emporium advertised specialty paintballs filled with anything liquid or gel. They manufacture their own paintballs in the warehouse and don't have a store front. All merchandise is manufactured then shipped from the warehouse. For a quick order to shipment turnaround time, you had to pay a premium. The fee for customized paintballs was exorbitant and there was a minimum purchase order required.

Reading through the website, I saw they offered reusable, metallic shell, pearl shell or glow in the dark. With customization, you determine the type, filling, thickness of shell and you could even add a logo. But you had to order a minimum of 150 paintballs. Filling out the form for thin pearl shell, Vaseline filling, single use and no logo, the cost was $500 plus shipping, not including the paintball gun. Since I selected the thin pearl shell paintballs, they recommended the $550 paintball gun. If I chose a thicker pearl shell, the paintball cost increased to $600 but I could purchase the $150 paintball gun instead. The range is between $750 and $1050 for both paintballs and gun, $550 to $600 for just the paintballs. Regular shipping cost is $80. To have your order expedited, the fee plus shipping was an additional $200. I selected regular shipping and printed off both orders without completing them.

Barely containing my excitement, I texted Ranger 'Could they have used Vaseline filled paintballs to disable the cameras?'

It took a few minutes for Ranger to answer. 'Hal says it's possible. Why did you suspect paintballs?'

'I used to go to a paintball bunker with Eddie and Carl. Depending on the paintball gun and paintballs, you can hit a target between 80 and 100 feet away. Since cameras have a hard surface, the paintball will break upon impact. If you have a gelatinous filling, it would leave a thicker more condensed splatter and a liquid filling will have a thin, but spread out splatter. I found a website to order customized paintballs. Is there a way we can order some so I can show you the difference between the two?' I waited for Ranger to reply. Within a few minutes Ranger, Hal and Tank rushed into the apartment. Tank saw the order forms on the coffee table and read them. He grabbed the laptop and quickly placed the order with expedited processing and delivery. Once the new forms were printed, confirming the order, Tank and Hal left. What was that all about?

Ranger sat on the coffee table and grabbed my hands. "We were trying to figure out how the cameras were disabled. The paintballs were immediately dismissed since they are typically paint filled. I had no idea customizable paintballs existed." I smiled feeling proud of myself. Ranger's lip twitched. "You don't like guns, but you have no problems with paintball guns? Why?"

I giggled then put on a serious face. "Paintball guns can't kill anyone."

He shook his head "I was wondering how you managed such a high accuracy rate in the gun range. You had lots of practice."

I pulled Ranger's face closer and kissed him. "Now you know all my secrets."

"You never disappoint. Mi amor eres asombrosa. (My love you are amazing)." He kissed me softly. I didn't understand what he said to me, but whenever he speaks to me in Spanish, I swoon.

According to the website, the paintballs will be ready to ship tomorrow afternoon and should arrive by 9 pm. Tank ordered both the thin shell and the thick shell Vaseline filled paintballs, but no paintball guns. "Ranger, why didn't Tank order paintball guns?"

"Babe." I took this to mean, 'because we already have paintball guns'.

"Oh. I didn't realize you already have paintball guns."

His lip twitched. "Every 6 months we go to the paintball bunker for practice drills." I mentally slapped my forehead... of course they do. With a wicked gleam in his eye he said, "Next time you're coming with us." Oh boy. Ranger grabbed my hand and led me to the elevator. When we arrived on the fifth floor, he took me to his office and sat me on his chair. "I would like you to finish your research here."

I looked around his office. Sitting in his chair makes me feel like the boss. "But where are you going to work? This is your office," I questioned, wondering why he would give up his office.

"Tank's office is next door. He's leaving for patrol duty. I'll use his office to complete the paperwork. I need to keep you close." He said as he kissed my forehead. I wonder what that's all about.

Five o'clock rolled around faster than I anticipated. My stomach was growling so loud that several men at the monitors and Ranger could hear it. Lester strolled into the office "Beautiful, did you forget to feed the beast again?"

"No, I ate lunch at one because I needed to take my meds. I was too busy to grab a snack," I quickly replied.

"What did you eat?" he asked.

"Twigs and bark," I said seriously. He looked confused so I said, "Turkey sandwich with low fat mayo on whole wheat bread." Lester laughed at my description. I always call 'healthy food' twigs and bark. Ella provides a hot breakfast, healthy sandwiches at lunch and hot dinner for all Rangeman employees. She used to bake cookies, brownies and cakes, but Ranger banned them when the men gained too much weight. If I wanted to have sugar in my coffee or Tastykakes, I had to buy them myself and hide them in the kitchen. Lester held out his arm for me as he invited me to dinner at Shorty's for pizza and beer with the guys. Readily accepting both his arm and invitation, we headed towards the elevator with the other men.

Ranger pulled me close, gave me a quick kiss and said, "Stay safe," using my line.

I smirked and replied, "Don't go crazy," which he usually tells me. His lip twitched in amusement as the elevators closed. Ranger rarely attends dinner out with the guys. He knows when the men need bonding time and the opportunity to talk freely with each other. Since the Merry Men treat me like their little sister, Ranger doesn't mind me going out with them. He knows they will protect me.

Lester parked behind Shorty's where staff usually parks. "Why are we parked back here and not in front?" I asked.

"We're sneaking you in."

My jaw dropped and before my anger could rise to the surface, Cal said, "He's kidding. Shorty told us to park here if you come with us."

"Oh." I realized they didn't really answer my question. When Bobby, Cal, Hal, Lester and I exited the car, the men arranged themselves around me in a protective bubble. Lester in front, Hal in back, Cal and Bobby on either side of me. I started to laugh. "I feel like a celebrity. I even have my own bodyguards."

Hal snickered. "If anything happens to you, the boss will kill us."

I muttered, "protective much?"

Lester started to laugh. "You could say that again." We entered Shorty's through the back pantry. Shorty led us to a private table in the back, separated from the main dining area.

Within minutes, Shorty brought us six pizzas and three pitchers of beer. "Tank called in the order. He wanted you to spend the least amount of time here as possible." The men looked among themselves. My spidey-sense was telling me that someone has some explaining to do. Chances are it involved me, but I really don't appreciate having others making decisions for me. Looking around at the other men, I realized, they were in the same boat as me. They have no more information than I do. Keeping the evening light, we joked around, enjoyed our food and each other's company. Before long, Shorty returned and said it was time for us to leave. When I checked my watch, I saw we were only there for an hour. Lester took out his wallet to pay, but Shorty waved him off and said, "The bill has already been paid."

Huh... I wonder who paid the bill. The answer was evident when we exited through the back door. Ranger was leaning against his Porsche 911 waiting for me. "Babe." He looked at Lester and said, "She needs to come with me." Lester nodded his head then jumped into the driver's seat of the Cayenne, Hal and Cal in the back with Bobby riding shotgun.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" I playfully asked Ranger. He pulled me against him and kissed me passionately. My knees felt weak and the heat of the kiss warmed my lady parts. We need to get home and get home fast. Walking with me to the passenger side, he opened the door and assisted me into the car. Apparently we were on the same wavelength. As soon as he was in the driver's seat he raced out of the parking lot. We arrived back at Rangeman within 10 minutes. Luckily, every light was green. Once we parked and in the elevator, Ranger scrambled the camera and pulled me into a searing kiss. Somehow we made it to his apartment still fully clothed. As soon as the door closed behind us, we ripped off each other's clothes and lost ourselves in the passion. He pressed me against the door and wrapped my legs around his waist. "Ranger, I'm still wearing the boot cast."

"It doesn't bother me, Babe." He continued kissing me, our tongues touched and with ferocious intensity he entered me. After a few thrusts, I cried out in ecstasy. I could feel his smile through his kisses. He walked us, still joined, to the bedroom. Carefully he placed me on the bed and gave into the impenetrable desire until he released, causing me to scream again in ecstasy. We made love a few more times during the night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie surprises her friend with her skills. Her relationship with Ranger moves in a very positive direction.

CHAPTER 10

I woke up wrapped around Ranger again. Sensing I was awake, he kissed my neck, down my collar bone, my breasts, and lower. He was kissing, licking and caressing my body with his hands, lips and tongue. Every touch awakened my body. I arched my back as he reached my centre. His tongue and fingers working me into a frenzy until I orgasmed. He crawled back up my body and entered me. With my face between his hands, forcing me to look into his dark eyes, he said, "Mírame a los ojos y Mira cuánto te amo. Eres mi luz, mi pareja, mi amante. Algún día pronto quiero que lleves a mi hijo." (Look into my eyes and see how much I love you. You are my light, my partner, my lover. Someday soon I want you to carry my child). I have no idea what he said, but those words pushed me over as we orgasmed together. He held my in his arms and caressed my face. Softly, he whispered words in Spanish I couldn't quite hear.

Once I arrived at my desk, I sent Sophia a message. I need to talk to her about the anger I experienced after our last session. She has the ability to help me cut through these raw emotions I feel in order to discover the root of the issue. It took a few minutes before Sophia replied to my message. Since she wasn't travelling to Trenton until that weekend, she asked if a video call will help. I was a bit reluctant to agree to a video call, but after talking to her, I agreed. She convinced me if this helps, we could add additional appointment times via video. Knowing how difficult it would be to wait, I agreed to a meeting tonight at 9 pm. Feeling better, I returned to the task at hand, running searches.

While sitting in my cubicle completing searches, I was feeling extremely bored. I looked at the computer clock to check the time (15:00, so 3 pm), when my phone pinged. I read the text from Tank 'It arrived. Gun range. 10 minutes.' He's a man of very few words just like Ranger.

Knowing what he was referring to, I squealed, "Awesome. Watch out buddy or I'll shoot you in the ass."

Lester and Cal looked out from the control centre and Lester asked, "What are you so excited about?"

"Umm... nothing?" I said through a wicked smile. Feeling that familiar tingle in the back of my neck, I knew Ranger was standing behind me. He grabbed my wrist and practically dragged me to the gun range. Apparently, he was as excited as I was for the paintball tests. Or he wanted to see my accuracy rate with one of those babies. We arrived in the gun range as Hector was installing old cameras to the back of the room. Instead of shooting at paper targets, we will be shooting at the old cameras or into twelve tiny squares drawn on the back wall. The tiny squares were to ensure the paintball coverage before aiming at the cameras. Hector motioned for us to wait until he linked the cameras to his laptop. He wanted to make sure we had the proper set up to replicate the incident at my apartment, at least that was the goal. I was fairly certain this was how the cameras were incapacitated. Tank handed me the paintball gun with the paint filled paintballs. He asked me to shoot into four of the black chalk drawn squares at the back of the room, six across the top and six across the bottom. I lifted the paintball gun and fired, hitting four of the squares, two top, two bottom on the left, dead centre. Ranger and Tank exchanged glances. After Tank inspected the spatter in the squares, he asked me to shoot at the camera on the left side of the room. Taking aim, I fired, hitting the centre of the lens.

Hector started talking in rapid Spanish. He was telling Ranger how impressed he was that I hit it dead centre so easily, but the splatter still allowed visibility through the lens. I shot at it a few more times before I was told to stop. Ranger walked to the back of the room and cleaned the camera lens before we continued. Tank handed me a new paintball gun, slightly heavier than the first, which contained the thin shelled, Vaseline filled paintballs. I was asked to repeat the same process as earlier. Again, I hit four squares dead centre. To keep it interesting, I shot the third and fifth square in the top row, the fourth and six on the bottom. Then aiming for the camera lens on the right, I fired. Again, I hit the lens dead centre. Ranger looked at the display on Hector's laptop and asked me to shoot it again. The second shot provided more coverage, coating the lens until the images on the laptop were too blurry to see. Tank swapped the paintball gun with a similar one, but containing the thick shelled, Vaseline filled paintballs. Before being asked, I aimed for the final four squares, shooting in quick succession then aimed for the left side camera and fired a single shot... dead centre. Hector shouted something and Ranger looked at the screen. The single shot with the thicker shelled paintball covered the camera lens better than using two of the thin shelled ones. We've narrowed it down. Thick shelled, Vaseline filled paintballs were most likely used to disable the cameras at my apartment.

"Babe. You nailed every target. Dead centre. Yet in the gun range, you only have 85% accuracy." I doubled over laughing.

I pointed to the paintball gun, "This is not a real gun so I'm more relaxed. I don't like shooting guns." Tank laughed as he gathered the paintball equipment for storage. The look on Ranger's face had me rolling on the floor laughing. "I'm surprised you or Tank didn't shoot at the targets."

"Tank thought it would be therapeutic for you to prove your theory. I see he was correct. Your accuracy surprised us." Huh, Tank was actually giving me the chance to prove my theory. "Next time we have our paintball war, you're on my team," Ranger said before kissing my forehead. We walked out of the gun range holding hands. The mystery of the Vaseline covered lenses is solved, next job is to figure out the person shooting the paintball gun. I pushed the thought to the back of my head, knowing I will eventually find the answer.

At exactly 9 pm, Sophia called via FaceTime. Ranger set up my MacBook in his office to give me some privacy as Sophia and I talked. I sat in Ranger's home office while we discussed the anger that radiated through my body after our last session. "I really don't understand why I felt so angry," I stated.

She thought for a minute and answered, "You lost your home, a place you kept to maintain your independence. It's understandable to be angry from this type of, especially so soon after the shooting."

I absorbed her words for a few minutes. "Sophia, you're right. Not only did I need to rely on Bobby to tend my injuries, I lost the only other form of independence I coveted. Ranger and I were forced to admit our feelings and I was forced to move into his apartment. Everything in our relationship seems to be happening at warp speed and I'm struggling to keep up."

Empathy showed on her face as she asked, "Stephanie, you have experienced many things even soldiers never experience. You always rise above your emotions to live your life, be happy and still maintain compassion for others. What are you expecting from Ranger in your relationship?"

"I'm not really sure what I expect from Ranger. We have this amazing connection that I cannot begin to explain. Every morning I wake up in his arms or to his touch or kiss, I'm thankful this wonderful man loves me," I reply. As we continued talking, I seem to have reached an epiphany, "Sophia, I realize now what I want from Ranger."

She asked, "What is it?"

My face flushed pink before I answered, "I want everything, his past, present and future. Anything he's willing to give me, I'll take, even if it doesn't come with a ring. I only want him, body and soul." For the first time in my life, I feel as though I can conquer it all, that I could have it all. Sophia and I ended the call. It's time for me to embrace my new reality. Temporarily living with Ranger was definitely not a chore or prison sentence. I want this, I deserve this, he's the only person who will let my fly. Besides, living with Ranger gives me full tile access to Ella. However, once I'm healed, I'll need to find a new apartment. As much as I want to live with Ranger, this is only temporary.

Another week had passed when Bobby finally asked me to meet him the infirmary, located in his office. He removed the boot cast and bandages to assess my left leg. Smiling at me, he said, "Bomber, we can remove the stitches. You still need the bandages to cover the incision for another week, but the boot cast is no longer needed."

I smiled and gave Bobby a hug. "Thank you. This is the best news ever." I really hated the boot cast. It was affecting my balance. Impatiently, I waited for Bobby to remove the stitches. I sighed and counted I felt the tug from each stitch removal.

When I reached 30, Bobby told me I was finished while handing me a lotion to reduce scarring. "Steph, I haven't cleared you for regular activities yet. You need to start physiotherapy immediately. Once you pass all the required physical strength tests, I'll sign the papers to return you to active duty."

I laughed, "You make it sound like I'm in the army."

Bobby chuckled, "I'm used to treating the men who work here. Your PT session starts in one hour. I suggest you change into gym clothes." I groaned, hopped off the table and stumbled slightly. Bobby smiled and shook his head.

"I'd rather run on the treadmill," I thought to myself. Bobby started laughing, "I never thought I'd see the day where you wanted to go running."

While watching the monitors, Ranger noticed my boot cast was removed. To surprise me, he waited in our apartment for me to arrive. As soon as the door opened, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. As our kissed deepened, he lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist. After a blissful hour of making love, I looked at the clock, gasped and jumped out of bed. I was late for my PT session. "Crap! I'm late for my session."

Ranger tipped his head back and laughed. "Slow down Babe. Your therapist won't mind if you're a few minutes late." I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and took the fastest shower possible. Within ten minutes, I was ready to go. While I dressed, Ranger took a quick shower, dressed in black basketball shorts and a white muscle shirt. Instead of wearing his combat boots, he pulled on a pair of black Nike shoes. I assumed he was going to the gym to spar with Tank.

When we arrived in the gym, he pulled me over to the set of mats near the weight machines. "Uh, you aren't planning on watching my session are you?" I was suddenly feeling nervous.

He raised one eyebrow and said, "Babe, I'm your physiotherapist."

Shaking my head no, I stammered, "B..b..but why?"

He leaned his head back and laughed. "I'm the resident physiotherapist. Whenever the men are healing from injuries, I carefully instruct them through stretches and weight training until they return to full strength. Bobby only helps when I'm visiting one of the other offices or when I'm in the wind."

"Oh. That's why you said my therapist wouldn't mind if I was late." Laughing hard, I toppled onto the mats holding my stomach. I wasn't sure why I was laughing, because having Ranger as my therapist was going to be a challenge.

Ranger had me slowly stretch my left leg by pulling my foot towards my knee, then extending it to point away from me. I repeated the exercise until sweat was pouring down my face. This was painful. The healing muscles felt tight and stretching them hurt worse than a Charlie horse. He could see I was in pain and asked on a scale of one to ten how much pain I was in. I said it was at level five. It was more like level ten, but I didn't want to tell him that. He told me to continue the exercise for a few more minutes. I continued to work through the pain. It was important to work the muscles to help them heal. After fifteen minutes, he suggested repeating the exercises on the other leg. "But my right leg is fine," I whined.

He gave me that blank look that said 'just do what I ask or else', so I sighed and continued with the session. Not wanting to overwork the freshly healed muscles, Ranger said we were done for the day. I returned to the seventh floor apartment since the change room was 'men only'. We discussed the possibility of hiring more women for the office. If Rangeman employed more women, a change room for women will be necessary. Once I showered, I changed into the boy shorts and tank top I use for pyjamas. I made myself comfortable on the couch to watch TV.

Ranger strolled into the apartment nearly an hour later. He showered then changed into loose dark grey sweats and a black t-shirt. Kneeling in front of me, he lifted my left leg, placing it on his right thigh before removing the bandages. He opened a tube of massage oil and gently massaged the muscle around the scar.

I leaned my head back onto the couch and moaned. "Hmm... that feels really good." Ranger remained silent as he continued the gentle massage. Once he was finished, he carefully cleaned my leg, applied antibiotic lotion then replaced the bandages.

Leaning over, he kissed my leg then pulled me into his arms. "I like taking care of you," he whispered into my ear.

"Carlos, I like it too."

"Thank you for agreeing to moving in with me," he said as he kissed the spot behind my ear. I know he's allowing me to live here out of pity, so why was he thanking me? "Babe. I wanted you to move in with me for months. Circumstances happened before I had the opportunity to formally ask."

He was going to ask me to live with him? I guess it makes sense since I was practically living here already. "Living here certainly has it's benefits. Like Ella doing all the cooking, laundry and cleaning," I said with a sly grin.

"Babe," he said in a resigned tone.

I smiled and said, "Best of all is climbing into your bed and waking up every morning with your arms wrapped around me."

Ranger gave me his best smile and said, "Agreed." He lifted me into his arms, carried me to bed and showed me exactly how happy he is having me as his permanent roommate.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie’s and Ranger’s relationship is on a steady path. Morelli is having problems letting her go. His need to own her overrides logical thought. Her mom continues to harass her and attempts to end her will. Suddenly, everything changes... some is good and some not really.

CHAPTER 11

Three more months had passed and I was becoming more frustrated. My training schedule was reinstated, and I was in the best shape ever. Sophia and I talked at least twice a week, but not always as therapist/patient, we have become close friends. I was finally cleared to return to work, but I still haven't solved the mystery of 'who destroyed Stephanie Plum's apartment'. When I talked to Eddie, he told me the investigation was put on hold since nobody was injured. Apparently, the insurance company was pleased I moved out without contesting the eviction notice. Capital Insurance decided to process the claim prior to having the police investigation results. This was great news for the occupants of my old apartment building. Repairs were already in progress, nearing completion. It won't be long before the three apartments are ready to be rented. Eddie said they didn't have any viable suspects, but he suspected Terry Gilman's involvement. Terry's uncle was part of the mob. Proving she was involved would be very difficult, if not impossible. Who's to say she was involved. Unfortunately the list of probable suspects was quite long.

The next day, I received a call from the main floor security desk. "Stephanie speaking, how may I help you George?"

He reluctantly said, "Uh.. sorry to bother you Stephanie, but your mom is here insisting on speaking to you. Ranger said to contact him immediately if Helen Plum or Joe Morelli arrives on the premises. Ranger and Tank are busy visiting new clients, Lester and Hal are out of town and they left you in charge. I didn't know who else to call. I'm sorry."

I sighed, "That's okay George. I'll be right down. In the meantime, send Tank and Ranger a text. They need to be kept informed." I took the elevator to the main floor to see my mom. Even though I knew better, I figured I'd give her the benefit of the doubt, after all, she is my mom.

As soon as I exited the elevator, my mom started yelling, "Why do I have a daughter who lives with a bunch of thugs?"

"Mom, lets step outside to have this conversation," I calmly said.

She was reluctant to comply, so I grabbed her arm, pulling her outside where she continued her tirade. "You and Joe had a good relationship. He wants to marry you. You need to marry Joe, quit your job and have kids. No more of this nonsense with these men."

I was trying to find the words to make myself clear. "Mom, I am NOT going to marry Joe. Stop trying to convince me. He's a cheater, a liar and an abuser. I will NEVER have anything to do with him again. There is nothing you or anyone else can say to convince me to marry him." My mom slapped me. George ran outside preparing to protect me. "Don't. You. EVER. Hit. Me. Again," I spat out through clenched teeth. Turning to George, I asked, "Can you call upstairs for backup? My mom needs to be escorted off the property and to her car."

"How DARE you ask for your own mother to be removed," she screamed.

Before I could reply, Ranger appeared at my side. "Helen, leave! If you don't, I will personally remove you," he said through clenched teeth.

My mom's face contorted into an angry scowl and said, "You will do no such thing! If you lay one hand on me, I will charge you with assault." As she turned to leave she yelled at me, "You are an ungrateful, hateful bitch and you are no daughter of mine." I was a bit stunned that she disowned me so publicly, yet I wasn't surprised... we haven't talked in months. I returned to my shift in the control room and dismissed my mother's angry words. If this happened six months ago, I would have been a mess. I should call Sophia to thank her again.

Unknown to everyone, Morelli was sitting on his Ducati parked outside the Rangeman building, hidden just out of sight. He overheard the entire conversation. Smiling to himself, he was happy Helen pleaded his case to Stephanie. He turned his bike around and followed Helen when she left. Helen pulled into the closest Liquor store, needing whiskey to calm her nerves. Knowing her favourite drink, Joe followed her to the whiskey aisle where she grabbed the largest bottle of Jim Beam. He quickly left before Helen could see him. She sat in the driver's seat of her car, opened the whiskey and drank a quarter of the bottle. Smiling to herself, she thought 'that hit the spot. I'm already starting to relax'. As she drove away from the liquor store, she continued drinking from the bottle. Morelli was heading in the same direction as Helen. He only lived a few blocks away from the Plums. Morelli wasn't paying too much to the traffic around him. When he stopped at the first red light, he removed his helmet to catch the eye of the young, hot, stacked blonde waiting to cross the road. Helen was completely drunk and didn't notice the red light or the motorcycle stopped in front of her. She crashed into the motorcycle, causing the rider to fly over five feet, smashing his head on the pavement. Helen wasn't aware of what she did and continued to drive away. Ignoring the next red light, she flew into the intersection and into the direct path of an eighteen wheeler. The trucker was unable to stop from crashing into Helen's car and killed her instantly. Helen Elenor Plum (nee Mazur) passed away on June 5th. She was 57 years old.

I was still at the control room monitors when I heard the police scanner. There was an accident five blocks away which involved an eighteen wheeler and a silver Buick LeSabre. My face blanched and I ran towards the stairs. I was too impatient to wait for the elevator. As I raced down the stairs, I felt dizzy and lost my footing. Falling down a full flight of stairs, I heard my right arm snap and bumped my head on the third floor landing. The stairway door crashed open and Tank appeared above me. "Stephanie, are you okay? We saw you fall down the stairs on the cameras."

I pulled my right arm closer to me and cried. "I broke my arm and I bumped my head." Considering my arm was hanging at an odd angle, it was definitely broken.

Tank called Bobby. "Stairway 3, third floor. Bring the rescue board." Cal and Bobby arrived within minutes, Bobby carrying the rescue board.

"I contacted the EMT already. They're on the way and will meet us at the front door," Bobby informed Tank. Carefully, Bobby and Cal placed me on the rescue board and strapped me down, leaving my right arm carefully draped across my chest.

"Cal, hold the doors open while Bobby and I carry Steph down the stairs." Going ahead of us, Cal held the second and first floor stairway doors open for us. When we arrived in the front lobby, the EMT was already waiting with a gurney. I was placed on top of the gurney still attached to the rescue board and strapped down.

"I'll contact Ranger," Cal informed us. Bobby hopped into the ambulance to accompany me to St Francis. Tank and Hal followed the ambulance to the hospital. Cal was still on duty and had to stay behind.

UGH! I really hate hospitals. "Bobby, why couldn't you fix my arm?"

He sighed, "Steph, I don't have an X-ray machine. You also need a CAT scan or MRI because you hit your head." I grumbled as the ambulance pulled in front of the ER doors. How could I have been so clumsy? I thought the days of slipping and falling down the stairs were behind me. Stupid dizziness... why didn't I slow down? "Stephanie, did you say just you were dizzy before you fell?" Bobby asked.

I shook my head and asked, "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes you did," he replied. Damn. I really need to learn to control saying my thoughts out loud. The doctor arrived in the Emergency room Pod A. After his preliminary examination, he ordered X-rays for my arm and a CAT scan for my head. The MRI will only be done if the CAT scan showed injury to my brain. Bobby pulled the doctor aside, asking to speak to him privately.

A few minutes later, a nurse arrived with a blood test kit. "What are you doing?" I asked the nurse.

"It was in your medical records that you had a blood transfusion within the last four months. The doctor ordered a few tests before we can proceed with the X-ray and CAT scan," she patiently said.

"Okay. But I really hate needles," I said as she prepared my arm.

"Take a deep breath Stephanie, you should only feel a small prick." A minute later the two vials were filled. The nurse removed the needle and bandaged the puncture site.

Another hour passed when the results finally arrived. Dr David Young entered the room while reviewing the results. Smiling at me he said, "Congratulations, you're pregnant."

"WHAT? How could I be pregnant, I'm on the pill," I screamed.

The doctor shifted uncomfortably and said, "You need to discontinue using them. We'll do an ultrasound to determine how far along you are. In the meantime, we still need to do the X-ray and CAT scan."

I was feeling anxious. Ranger is going to be furious. He said he doesn't want any more kids. "Is it safe for the baby?" Ranger entered Pod A as I asked my question. His smile was radiant. Huh... he looks happy to hear I'm pregnant.

"Yes Stephanie, it's safe as long as we take extra precautions," the doctor reassured. The orderly arrived with a wheelchair to take me to X-ray first. In the radiation room, the technician ensured my torso was completely shrouded in lead jackets. He placed an X-ray board under my arm, aligned the machine then went to his booth to take the X-ray.

In order to reduce my exposure to the radiation, he only took the one picture. "Okay, we're done in here."

"That's it? One scan? Usually you guys take 3 or 4 from different angles," I questioned.

"We can see everything on this X-ray. Exposing you to more radiation is unnecessary, given your current condition. Jennifer will be taking you to your CAT scan in the next room." Jennifer is petite with dark curly hair and green eyes.

Giving me a friendly smile, she pointed to the wheelchair, "Sorry, it's hospital policy." I mumbled 'stupid policy and stupid wheelchair'. Jennifer laughed, obviously hearing my complaint.

After the CAT scan, I was returned to emergency room Pod A. The doctor arrived within a few minutes with my results. He put the X-ray on the white light board and turned it on. "See this bone here, that's your ulna and that one there is your radius? As you can see, both are broken. I already paged the orthopaedic surgeon to examine the X-ray and your arm."

"I need surgery?" I asked in panic.

"It likely isn't necessary, but I still need to consult Dr Lee."

"Okay, I guess," I said feeling slightly mollified.

"Your CAT scan was clean. Which means you do not have a concussion," he said. I was relieved. Holding my left hand, Ranger rubbed small circles on my palm with his thumb. I smiled up at him in thanks for so calming me. His touch has always been soothing.

Dr Jonathan Lee arrived and stated, "Good news, you don't need surgery." I grimaced.

When someone says 'good news' there is usually 'bad news' to follow, so I asked, "And the bad news is?"

He simply said, "It's going to hurt when I reset your arm." Joy... it already hurts a lot. How much worse can the pain get? I really shouldn't have asked that question. Because the answer is... it hurts a heck of a lot worse than when it broke. Ranger held my left hand and placed his right hand on my back, rubbing soothing circles to relax me. Dr Lee set my arm, pulled a stockinette over my arm, wrapped it in cotton then covered my arm with plaster. He told me to wait for 15 minutes to allow the cast to dry.

On the other side of the curtain, there was a small commotion just before a tall, black woman entered the pod. "Hi Ms Plum, I'm Dr Christina Brown and I'll be performing your ultrasound."

"Hi Dr Brown... are you any relation to Dr Bobby Brown?" I had to ask.

She laughed and answered, "Yes, Robert's my younger brother." I thought I could see a bit of a resemblance. "I'm the obstetrician gynaecologist on call. Let's get your stomach uncovered so we can use the ultrasound to see your baby. Everyone else, please leave," she said, pointedly looking at her brother.

"I want Carlos to stay. He's the baby's father," I stated.

She shook her head and said, "I'm afraid not. I need to do the preliminary examination first, but he can come back in when I show you the baby."

"Okay, I can handle that," I said as I exhaled. I lie back on the bed, pulled the covers up to my hips and pulled the hospital gown up.

"This will feel a bit cold, just lie back and relax," she said in a comforting tone. She was right, the gel was cold, causing me to jump a bit. Using the ultrasound wand, she moved it over my lower abdomen to examine my baby. Pressing it down from my belly button and up from my pelvic bone. The pressure was a bit uncomfortable. After a few measurements, she called Ranger back into the room. "Carlos, you can come back in."

Ranger pulled back the curtain and stared at the ultrasound machine monitor, looking at our baby. I was watching his face when he came into the room. His expression was pure joy. He sat beside me on the bed and pulled me into his arms. "I'm the happiest man on earth," he said.

"Really? You're not mad?" I asked with unmasked relief.

Dr Christina Brown interrupted our moment to say, "I have more to show you."

I was confused. "What do you mean? I see our baby, what else is there to see?"

She smiled and said, "Let me reposition the wand." When she shifted the wand lower and tilted it up, we could see a second baby in the ultrasound. She quickly printed copies for us. One with both babies, one of baby A (top) and one of baby B (bottom).

I was shocked, "T..t..two babies?"

"Yes, congratulations Carlos and Stephanie, you are expecting twins. According to the measurements, you are 12 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Your due date is December 15th." That's when I fainted.

"Babe. Steph, are you okay?"

"Ranger, I'm fine. I was just a bit shocked." I noticed Bobby standing next to Ranger. Looking to the doctor I asked, "How did I get pregnant while on the pill?" She looked towards her brother Bobby who quickly explained.

"You were taking antibiotics which rendered your birth control pill useless."

"I never heard of that before. Why didn't the doctor warn me?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Being on the pill wasn't part of your medical history when you had surgery on your leg. The doctor didn't know to warn you."

I looked at Ranger with tears in my eyes. "Babe. We didn't know. I'm not mad at you. I wouldn't change a thing." He leaned over and kissed me tenderly.

"So you're okay with me keeping them?" I asked. I think I already knew the answer, but I still needed to hear his answer.

"Yes Babe, I'm really okay with you keeping them. As long as we can raise them together." I threw my arms around Rangers neck and sobbed tears of joy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie loses more than she anticipated, but she gains something more important. She attempts to come to terms with the changes in her life.

CHAPTER 12

A nurse helped me change back into my cargo pants and t-shirt while Ranger talked quietly to Bobby. Straining my ears, I attempted to eavesdrop. Hearing the occasional word, I pieced together part of their conversation. Apparently there was an accident and someone died. I heard ‘mom’ ‘motorcycle’ ‘no helmet’ but I couldn’t string enough words together to get the full story. We left the ER and entered the large waiting room where patients waited to be called into triage. Eddie cautiously approached me, checking out my arm. His eyes are red and puffy, like he had been crying. “I’m alright Eddie. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Eddie looked confused. He looked towards Ranger and nodded his head. “Babe. We need to talk. There’s a private waiting room available for us.” He guided me to the waiting room to the right of the ER entrance. My spidey-sense was telling me something was terribly wrong.

I sat on the couch, waiting for everyone else to be seated before demanding, “What happened?”

Ranger looked towards Eddie. “Ranger, I need to tell her. Stephanie, this morning your mother was involved it a car accident. She ran a red light and was T-boned by an eighteen wheeler.”

I sobbed uncontrollably while Ranger gathered me into his arms. Through my sobs I asked, “Is she alright?”

He shook his head no as he said, “She was killed instantly.” Eddie waited for my crying to subside before adding, “Witnesses said she also hit a motorcyclist the block before. The bike was stopped at a red light. Your mother didn’t stop the car and hit him, throwing him from his bike where his head impacted the pavement. He had removed his helmet to flirt with the girl waiting to cross the road. She called 911 once he was hit. He was rushed to the hospital and is now in a coma.”

Sensing more to the story I asked, “Eddie, what aren’t you telling me?” I suspected I knew the ‘he’ being referenced. Eddie had a difficult time saying his name. I nodded my head, realizing who it was and said, “It was Joe, wasn’t it?”

The look on Eddie and Ranger’s faces confirmed my suspicion. Even though I didn’t want to be with Joe, I still didn’t want anything to happen to him. Before I could ask Eddie more questions, he was paged by the ER nurse. “I need to go. Take care Steph, let me know if you need anything.” Eddie left to complete official police business.

Once we arrived at Rangeman, I called my dad. He answered the phone with a barely audible grunt. “Hi dad. I know about mom. Do you need help with anything?”

“No Stephanie, we can handle things. You need to take care of yourself right now.”

“Okay, bye daddy.” My dad hung up without saying goodbye.

I called Valerie next. She answered through sobs, “Who is this? I don’t have time for you.”

“Val, it’s me Steph.”

She screamed, “I don’t have time for you either. It’s all your fault. If you only listened to mom, none of this would have happened. We don’t need your help. We don’t want you anywhere near us or the funeral. Just leave me and MY family alone. YOU ARE NOT MY SISTER!” She hung up on me. Dropping my phone, I buried my face in my hands and cried. I didn’t just lose my mom today, I lost my entire family. Ranger pulled me into his arms and let me cry.

I woke up early the next morning. It was only 4 am, Ranger was still in bed beside me. I shifted so I could climb out of bed, but Ranger’s warm arms pulled me back tight to his chest, resting his hand on my lower abdomen. “Ranger, I need to pee.”

He chuckled, released me then said, “Come back when you’re done.” After I took care of my urgent needs, I washed my face, brushed my teeth then returned to bed.

Ranger pulled me close, my back to his chest and once again placed his hand on my lower abdomen. “Ranger, why do you keep putting your hand over my stomach?”

“I have wanted you to carry my baby for years,” he whispered.

He rubbed soothing circles over the barely visible baby bump. “But I thought you didn’t want any more children or responsibilities, Ranger.”

“Babe. I didn’t want them until the day I met you. With you, I want everything.”

My heart pattered from his admission. “You make me happy Batman. I love you and our bat-babies.”

He laughed and said, “As I love you and our babies.”

“Ranger, I haven’t told my family about the babies. My sister told me not to show up for the funeral. I need to have a chance to say goodbye.”

“I know Babe.” We stayed in bed cuddling until Ranger’s alarm sounded at 5 am. He got up and changed into workout clothes. “I’m going for a run,” he said before leaning over and kissing me. Once Ranger left the apartment, I crawled out of bed, carefully wrapped my arm in plastic and took a shower. So far I haven’t experienced morning sickness, but I do get dizzy spells. I made a mental note to ask Bobby how to reduce dizziness.

Ranger opened the apartment door as Ella arrived with breakfast. He slipped into the shower as I ate breakfast. Between mouth fulls of food I said, “Thank you Ella.”

“My pleasure Steph. How are you doing today? I heard about your mother. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

My eyes teared as I replied, “Thank you. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet. I know my mom died, but I still need to see it for myself. My sister doesn’t want me to attend the funeral. I called my dad, but he’s still in shock and my grandma doesn’t answer her phone.”

Ella pulled me into a hug. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will, thanks again, Ella.” She left the apartment minutes before Ranger left the bedroom.

“Do you have any morning sickness Babe?”

“No. So far I seem to be fine.”

Ranger’s phone pinged. He read the message and said, “I have to follow up on this.”

“Okay.” He kissed me then left for work.

At 9 am, I made my way to my cubicle to run searches for Rodriguez. My inbox had two requests for security background checks and another three for potential clients. I started on the background checks first. Bobby arrived at my cubicle and asked, “Bomber, why are you working? You have six bereavement days and another five recovery days for your broken arm.”

Glancing up at him I said, “I was getting bored and since I’m right handed, it’s going to take me longer to do my work. Typing with my left hand is slow and challenging.”

He laughed and said, “Ranger sent me to check on you. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

I cheekily replied, “I guess I can spare a minute or two.” I waited for him to start talking but he pointed to the elevator. Ah... in his office then. He wants to keep our conversation private.

We took the elevator to the third floor and followed the hallway to his office. “I have some documents for you to sign. Jeanne Ellen has agreed to teach your kickboxing and self defence courses permanently. You need to sign this document to authorize the instructor change. For insurance purposes,” he quickly added before I had the chance to ask.

I said, “We could have done that in my cubicle.” Glancing at me, he passed me the next sheet of paper to sign. I read over the document. “What is this for Bobby?”

He patiently said, “Since you’re pregnant, you are no longer permitted to do fieldwork. Also, it outlines the recommended changes to your exercise schedule and PT for your arm. Finally, your medical benefits has been modified to include the twins and all additional prenatal expenses.”

I carefully read the medical benefits page. “I can have an on-site private obstetrician? Bobby, that’s way too much.”

He laughed. “Only you would think that’s too much. If you read that part carefully, there’s a time qualifier. The on-site OB/GYN can be requested once you’ve reached your twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, since you’re having twins. Thirty weeks if it’s a single pregnancy. He or she will stay in one of the fourth floor apartments, readily available should you need them. Once you request the obstetrician/gynaecologist, you’ll need weekly examinations until your babies are born. A facility will be available on-site for delivery, if required.”

I laughed and said, “With my luck, I’d give birth here.” After I finished reading the documents, I signed them where indicated. Bobby looked surprised. Looking at him I asked, “What?”

“I was actually expecting more resistance from you. I’ve taken the liberty and contacted a few OB/GYNs. Here’s a list of potential doctors. They will follow your entire pregnancy and have the availability to be on-site. I’ll leave the list with you to research and find the right one for you.”

Quickly reading the list, I noticed Bobby’s sister at the top. “Okay. When do I need to decide?”

“I’ll need your top and backup choices by next week. You need to immediately start your prenatal care. For now, here’s some recommended pre-natal vitamins to take.” I hugged Bobby and returned to my cubicle.

After I ate lunch, my cell phone rang. Checking the display, I saw my Grandma’s name. “Hi Grandma.”

“Hi baby granddaughter. I’m sorry I didn’t call, but I had a lot of funeral arrangements to make for your mother. Your dad is still in shock and your sister is too emotional to be of any use. Unfortunately, it has to be a closed casket.”

“I know how much you hate closed caskets.”

“Steph, in this case it’s necessary. Your mother was in very rough shape. I identified the body.”

“Oh Grandma, I’m so sorry. That must have been difficult for you.”

I could hear my Grandma snuffle. “Yes it was. But your mother was an idiot... drinking and driving! The police are interviewing family. They’re trying to piece together the timeline leading up to the accident.”

I gasped. “Oh no...,” the tears started again. “I killed my mom.”

“Don’t be silly. You didn’t force her to drink and drive. She made that decision on her own. I knew she was tippling too much, but didn’t try to stop her.” We made plans for her to visit at 7 pm tonight. Grandma needed to talk to dad first. She’s coming to Rangeman to visit. There was so much I needed to tell her. 

I walked towards Ranger’s office to tell him that Grandma Mazur will be visiting. He looked up just as I was entering the doorway. “How did you know I was there? Did you hear me?”

“Babe, I sensed you were close.” Huh... he IS as aware of me as I am of him. But I still needed to be sure.

“How did you sense me? I know when you’re close, I feel a tingling sensation in the back of my neck.”

He smiled. “I know. I too get a tingling sensation in the back of my neck.” That was totally swoon worthy. I walked over to him so I could sit in his lap. He reached out, grabbed my hips, leaned over and kissed my lower abdomen before carefully settling me on his lap. “Are you bored already?”

“No. I came in to tell you my Grandma’s coming over at 7 tonight. Can I bring her up to the apartment?”

“Babe. It’s your home too, you don’t need to ask permission.” I know he doesn’t like surprises, so asking his permission was appropriate.

“Bobby had me sign a bunch of documents. I’m officially grounded to work in the control room or in the duncicle.” I dubbed the cubicle for searches as the duncicle... it’s like the corner stool in the classroom where the dunce sits.

If you get into trouble while on a job, you have to work at the cubicle for searches. “It’s for the best. You’re not a dunce. I like having you do the searches because you have this sixth-sense about the people you’re researching. Whenever I require a female’s perspective for a home security system, you can accompany me.” He hugged me close and kissed the spot just below my ear. Whispering, he said “Querida, te amo. Cásate conmigo?” I could understand the first few words, but I didn’t know the last two. However, the last two words made my heart beat faster.

“I know you said ‘darling, I love you’ but what were the last two words?”

He shifted me on his lap to look in my eyes. “Cásate conmigo?”

“Yes... what does that mean? When you say those words, it makes my heart race and I feel like...”

“Babe... continue. How do those words make you feel?”

“It makes me feel like...” I looked deep into his eyes before continuing. I know he was asking me to marry him, but I wanted to the one to ask him. I’ve been planning to ask him for weeks but couldn’t pluck up the courage. Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed the black ring I always kept with me. “Carlos. I love you more each day. You are my life, my heart, my better half. Not too long ago, you asked me if ‘this was a proposal’. At that time it wasn’t, but now... Ricardo Carlos Manoso, will you Marry me?”

His smile was absolutely radiant. “Babe.” He kissed me. I kissed him back, pouring all my love into the kiss.

I briefly ended the kiss and said, “I still need to hear your answer.”

“I will marry you mi amor. For the record, I asked you first.” Reaching into one of his cargo pants pockets, he pulled out a gorgeous diamond ring.

The ring has an emerald cut diamond surrounded by sapphires the exact same colour as my eyes. “Carlos, it’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you.” He held my left hand and slid the ring onto my finger as I placed the black ring onto his left hand ring finger. I started crying. “Babe. What’s wrong?”

Taking a few breaths to calm myself I said, “So much has happened this week. I broke my arm, my mom disowned me then died, my sister also disowned me, I discovered I’m pregnant with twins and now we’re engaged. I don’t know if I should be angry, sad, depressed or deliriously happy.”

He laughed. I love hearing him laugh. “Babe.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie says goodbye to her mother before her life changes further.

CHAPTER 13

We ate dinner in the apartment. Ella prepared roasted chicken and grilled vegetables. As a treat for me, she made chocolate cheesecake. Bless Ella, she’s amazing. “Do you think Ella will adopt me?”

Ranger laughed and said, “Once we’re married, you’ll be related.”

“Really? How is she related to you?” I happily asked.

“Ella is my aunt.” He rarely told me anything about his family.

I knew he was married in his early twenties and has a teenage daughter named Julie. They divorced shortly after Julie was born. He didn’t love Julie’s mom. He married her to give them his last name and financial support. Every month, he sends money for child support even though Ronald Martine officially adopted her. Thinking about his first marriage I timidly asked, “Are you only marrying me to give the babies your name?”

A quick flash of anger crossed his face before he dropped the blank face back in place. “Stephanie, I asked you to marry me because I love you, not because you’re pregnant. I’ve been planning to ask you for the last few years. This is our ‘someday’. Your pregnancy is icing on the cake.”

I threw my arms around him and kissed him. Briefly breaking from the kiss I said, “I’m sorry I doubted your intentions.” He kissed me, our tongues touching. His hands moved under my shirt and he gently stroked my stomach before trailing his hands up to my breasts. Just as he removed my shirt and bra, Tank’s voice over the intercom announced my Grandma’s arrival.

Ranger went to the intercom, pressed the button for the fifth control room and said, “Tank, can you escort her up?”

“On it,” was Tank’s only reply. Within a few minutes Tank knocked on the door.

I opened the door and pulled my Grandma into a hug. She awkwardly hugged me back as I attempted to keep a tight grasp on my emotions. My family didn’t handle emotions well. We would eat through our emotions, not express them through conversation or hugs. I led Grandma to the couch and sat down beside her. She looked at my ring, then Ranger’s ring before turning her focus on my cast. I can see she has questions, but she chose to wait for that conversation. Getting right to business, Grandma said, “Stephanie, visitation is tomorrow night from 7 to 9 and the funeral is on Saturday at 1 pm. Your sister doesn’t want you there. Your dad and I made alternate arrangements for you. If you arrive at 9:30 pm, you can have a private visitation with your mom. We also arranged for time, an hour after the funeral, to say your final goodbye. We tried talking to Valerie about having you standing with the family, but she insisted that your mom wouldn’t want you there. Valerie said your mom disowned you.”

I looked at Grandma, wiped away my tears and said, “I don’t want to make it worse for you and daddy. I’ll comply with the arrangements you made for me.” Ranger grabbed my attention and raised his eyebrow. I nodded slightly, granting him permission to grab the ultrasound pictures. “Grandma, I have a few things, happier things, to tell you. I know it’s poor timing. You can tell daddy and Valerie if you want, it isn’t a secret. Ranger and I are getting married.”

I held out my left hand to show her my engagement ring. “Oh Steph, I’m so happy for you. It’s about time he got off his ass and asked you. You need to tell me about your broken arm. I bet it’s a pip of a story too.” Oh boy... time to tell Grandma the entire story. I ran through everything that happened the day my mom died. Grandma was furious when she heard my mom came to Rangeman to yell at me.

She gasped when I told her about falling down the flight of stairs. I told her I already knew Joe was in an accident and in a coma. “How did you fall down the stairs?”

“I had a dizzy spell and missed the step.”

She looked at me then said, “There’s only a few reasons why people have dizzy spells, but since you’re still young... Are you pregnant?” Ranger handed grandma Mazur the ultrasound picture. She looked at me in awe and said, “Twins. I’m happy for you.” Grandma stayed for another hour before leaving. I asked Ram to drive her home. Before she left, Grandma said, “You are not responsible for your mother’s death. She made her own choices in life. It’s unfortunate that your sister doesn’t realize this and holds you responsible.” 

The visitation was difficult for me. Donald Travers, the new Stiva Funeral Home owner, was waiting for me and Ranger at the back door entrance. I went into room 1 to see the casket and reality took hold. I was never going to see her again. It was difficult for me to say goodbye without seeing her. Turning to Don I asked, “Can you open the casket for me? I need to see her to say goodbye.” He looked to Ranger who barely nodded his head indicating he should comply.

Ranger looked at Don and said, “She has likely seen worse. You don’t have to worry, she can handle this.”

Don pulled a set of keys from his pocket to unlock the casket. As he opened the casket he said, “Your Grandma assumed you would want to see your mom, so I have written permission from both your Grandma and dad to grant this request.”

I was shocked to see how rough my mom looked, but it was necessary closure for me. I removed the photocopied ultrasound picture of the twins and tucked it into the casket beside my mom. “I’m sorry we didn’t get along better mom. Being a Burg wife was never an option for me. I can’t be a stay at home wife cooking, cleaning and raising kids. Joe wanted me to be his wife, but only on his terms. He made too many demands and was unsupportive. I would never have been happy married to him. Ranger makes me happy. He’s supportive and loves me warts and all. We’re getting married and I’m pregnant with twins. I gave you a copy of the ultrasound to keep you company. You always wanted me to get married and have children, but now you’re not here to see it happen. I forgive you mom. You had the best of intentions and it was your way of telling me you love me. If you didn’t come to Rangeman that day, I’d be telling you about the babies and my engagement at a family dinner. Goodbye mom. I miss you.” I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you mom.” Turning to the funeral director I said, “Thank you for doing this for me. We should be going.” I ran my hand down the length of the casket before turning towards the back exit to leave.

Ranger draped his right arm across my shoulder. “Are you okay Babe?”

Surprisingly, I am okay. I needed the closure. “Yes, I’m alright.” I wrapped my left arm around his waist as we exited the funeral home.

I woke up Saturday morning feeling nauseous. Oh no, not today of all days. I’m now thirteen weeks pregnant and I finally experience morning sickness. Don’t women usually experience morning sickness in the first trimester? I ran to the bathroom and made it just in time. Ranger raced in after me and held my hair back. “Babe.”

He waited for me to sit back on my heels before releasing my hair. Grabbing a towel from the vanity drawer, he ran it under cold water and swiped it over my face. “Thank you.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead before leaving to give me privacy. I stood at the sink to wash my hands and brush my teeth. When I entered the kitchen, I saw breakfast was waiting on the counter. I noticed Ella included juice, toast, crackers, yogurt and pretzels to the usual bagels, cream cheese and salmon options. Huh... all the foods to eat when experiencing nausea. How did she know? I drank a glass of juice and ate some toast. My stomach was feeling better.

“You probably have nausea because you’ve been under a lot of stress lately. Ella knows you’re pregnant and assumed you would feel nauseous this morning. Don’t worry, it will go away soon,” Ranger offered an explanation.

“I hope you’re right and Ella is amazing.” He stood behind me to massage my shoulders. “Mmmmm... that feels good.”

Kissing the spot below my ear he said, “Anything for you Babe.” This man is amazing. I’m so lucky to have met him. I am irrevocably in love with him. “Babe. Te quiero.”

Since my mom’s funeral included mass, interment will happen at 2:30 pm. People will leave the graveyard around 3 pm, so I need to be there at 3:30 to say my final goodbye. They will lower the coffin into the grave before I leave. Looking at my watch, I saw the current time is 1:15 pm. I started crying because I was missing the service. Funerals always make me cry so I avoid them as much as possible. However, this is different, it’s my mom’s funeral and my choice to attend was stripped from me.

Ranger pulled me into his arms and held me as I cried. He whispered, “Babe. No llores querida. Estonia aquí para ti. Puedes apoyarte en mí. Don’t cry. I’m here for you. You can lean on me,” Ranger repeated in English. He cradled my head in his left hand and rubbed soothing circles on my back with his right. When I stopped crying, he carried me to the bathroom and sat me on the counter. He grabbed a wash cloth, ran in under warm water and carefully washed my face. Grabbing a clean towel, he gently dried my face. This man truly amazes me. He makes me feel cherished, loved and adored. Ranger held my face between his hands and kissed me. Touching our foreheads together he said, “Stephanie my love, I will be anything you need me to be.”

I reached up and stroked his face with my fingers, the cast prevented me from placing my palm against his cheek. Reaching up with my left hand, I cupped his face. He leaned into my touch then shifted to kiss my palm. He wrapped his arm around my waist, lifting me off the counter. I wrapped my legs around him and kissed him. He deepened the kiss as he carried me to bed, where he helped me forget about my grief.

At 2:30 pm, Ranger carried me back to the bathroom placing me on my feet. He covered my arm with plastic to protect the cast. We showered quickly. There was no time for our usual shower antics. Ranger towel dried my hair and carefully brushed out the tangles. He massaged a generous amount of a hair product into my hair. His fingers combed through my hair to separate my curls. I looked in the mirror and saw perfectly defined curls. My hair has never looked this amazing. I was planning to pull it back into a ponytail. “Where did you find that stuff?”

Ranger smiled. “Ella found it. Her niece works at Sephora and asked Ella to try some new products for her. Since you have curly hair, Ella asked for curly hair products. I used this one on your hair.” He handed me a blue jar of Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream. “She also gave me Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair and Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask.” I read instructions for usage and decided the Curl Defining Cream would be easiest to use. The intense hydrating mask needs to be rinsed out after seven minutes and the Briogeo product can only be used two or three times a week. “Ella would like you to try all three products and provide feedback.”

We dressed in appropriate funeral attire, left Rangeman and travelled to the grave site. My mom will be buried in the Mazur family plot. The coffin was sitting on the device used to lower coffins. There were various coloured roses on top of the coffin. The priest standing beside the coffin held pink and white roses. Ranger and I selected one of each coloured rose to place on her coffin. The priest placed the remaining roses on top of the coffin, prayed for her soul then left to give us privacy. “Goodbye mom. Please watch over my babies.” We placed our roses on the coffin. The coffin was lowered as I cried over the loss of my mother, the twins grandmother. Ranger held me until I was ready to leave.


End file.
